You're in my veins
by quickssalgron13
Summary: Puck visits Quinn one night with a favour to ask. His grandmother only has a few months left to live, and he needs her to pretend to be his fiancé. What happens when the ex lovers find there are still feelings between them? Is it really pretend or could it be something more?
1. Everything will change

Quinn sighed as she finished washing the dishes, staring out of the window for a moment before shutting off the water and drying her hands. Her life was successful, more so than she had thought when the pregnancy test showed up the little pink plus sign. She had thought her life was ruined, but evidently not. After high school, she had gone on to graduate from Yale at the top of her class with a law degree, and was now one of the best lawyers in New York. But, even with all her success, she was lonely a lot of the time, and she missed her sweet little girl. Her love life was pretty none existent besides a few short term flings here and there. Something was missing from her life, and she didn't quite know what. A knock at the door shook her out of her thoughts, Quinn grabbing twenty dollars from her purse to pay for what she assumed was her pizza, even if it was twenty minutes late. The lawyer in her urged her to argue with the delivery man, but she  
>honestly didn't care. She just wanted to curl up in bed with her pizza and watch the notebook again.<p>

Quinn headed for her door and pulled it open, her eyes growing wide in surprise at who stood on her doorstep, that same half smirk tugging at his lips.

"S'up MILF?" Puck smirked, leaning against her doorframe and looking her over. He hadn't seen her in almost four years, and she was still as amazingly beautiful as she had been at Santana's twenty first birthday.

"Puck? What are you doing here?" She asked in shock, blinking a few times to be sure he was really there. He looked good, a little taller than last time, and his muscles before defined. She supposed the air force had really put him to work.

"Can't I come visit the mother of my child?" He asked, pressing his hand to his chest as if she had hurt his feelings. Quinn laughed and rolled her eyes, stepping aside to let him in, closing the door behind him.

"Nice place you got here, I guess you're raking in the big money now?" He asked, looking around the huge living room she led him into, not surprised at all to find the room furnished in expensive wood and huge sofas. Typical Fabray.

"You could say that. Do you want anything to drink?" She called from the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water and wondering why Puck had come to see her.

"No, I'm good," he answered, picking up the framed picture of Beth from her mantel.

"Why are you here? We haven't spoken in years, what's changed?" Quinn asked as she came back into the living room, pausing when she saw he was holding the picture of Beth from the hospital. She wondered when it would stop hurting to think about her daughter.

"Maybe I missed you," he shrugged, putting the picture back.

"Maybe, but we've never really been friends. We've never been the kind of people to call each other for a catch up, so what is it? Is it Beth?" She frowned, a jolt of panic stabbing her in the heart. If Beth had been hurt, she didn't know what she would do.

"Beth is fine, I mean no one has called about her so that's a good sign right? Berry said she's fine, I have a picture," Puck grinned, pulling a picture of their daughter out of his wallet and handing it to her.

"So what is it? If its not Beth, what else is it?" Quinn asked, tears filling her eyes as she stared down at the picture of their little girl grinning next to Snow White.

"I need to ask you a favour," he sighed, thrusting his hands into his pockets and biting his lip, chancing a glance at her.

"Do you need money? I can lend you some," she offered, reaching for her cheque book.

"What? No. Its nothing like that, Q. I don't need your money," he sighed, rolling his eyes at her, deciding to just get to the point.

"I need you to marry me," Puck blurted, Quinn's eyes growing wide in shock.

"What is wrong with you? You've been here ten minutes and you're proposing?! Shut up, you're freaking me out. This is  
>crazy!" She breathed, staring at him, wondering if he had been dropped on his head lately.<p>

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Fabray. I'm not actually proposing to you, I'm not that crazy," he replied, Quinn's eyes narrowing at him.

"Ok, that came out wrong. Look, my mom called this morning to tell me that my grams has got cancer. She has six months at the most to live," he confessed, sitting down heavily on the sofa and burying his face in his hands with a sigh.

Quinn stared at him for a moment before she got up and crossed the room to sit beside him, rubbing his back comfortingly as tears filled her eyes. She remembered when she was pregnant, the Puckerman family had taken her to meet Puck's grandparents. His grandmother had been so kind and welcoming to her, not judging her at all for being pregnant at sixteen. It broke her heart to know the sweet old woman was dying.

"God, Puck. I'm so sorry," she whispered, feeling the tell tale tremors of his back beneath her hand, knowing he was trying his hardest not to cry.

"She worries about me so much, Q. Worries that I won't be happy with anyone, that I won't ever settle down and I'll become my father. I can't let her die worrying about me. My sister and my mom and I are heading on up to Wisconsin to spend her last few months with her, and I wanted to ask you if maybe you could pretend to be my fiance, even for a few weeks. She loves you, and if she things we're engaged, she won't have to worry so much. I'll pay you if you want, I just- I'm asking you please, will you do this for me? For my grams?" He asked, looking up from his hands to see her face, seeing she was crying silently.

Quinn took a deep breath and stared down at the picture of Beth whilst she considered his propisition. He didn't have to give her the picture, he could have kept it for himself. Then again, Puck had done a lot for her that he didn't need to do, especially during their senior  
>year. The least she could do was help him out so his grams could die peacefully.<p>

"I'll do it. I can take two months off work and cut down on my work load to spend more time up there. Apparently I work too much anyway, and I like your grams. It would be nice to spend time with her before she goes," Quinn smiled, squeezing his thigh lightly.

"You're actually going to help?" He asked, a hint of disbelief in his words.

"Look, I know I haven't always been the best person and I've not always treated you with the respect you deserve but I'm not joking with you or playing any games, ok? I genuinely want to help and see your family again. Your sister was always nicer than you to be around," she teased, nudging him to show she was joking.

"That's because she was obsessed with you," he shrugged, watching her as she walked across the room to look out of the window, his eyes lingering on her ass. She still had the sexiest ass he had ever seen, his hand itching to squeeze it but knowing she would probably seperate him from his balls in less than ten seconds if he did.

"She's sweet, something that obviously skipped you," she replied, double checking that no one was anywhere near her car before closing the curtains.

"I can be sweet! I snuck you bacon burgers every day when you were pregnant!" He reminded her, checking the time and getting up. He had expected Quinn to still be a bitch, but he was actually enjoying spending time with her. Too bad he had to leave now or he would end up overtired at work tomorrow.

"You forgot the condom," she shrugged, arching her brow at him as she watched him pull his leather jacket on, trying not to notice the way it defined his muscles.

"I didn't forget, you wouldn't give me enough time to get one on, little miss 'I just wanna feel you'. It was your fault too," he smirked, winking at her and checking his phone.

"I should be going, I have work tomorrow," he told her, shooting her an apologetic smile.

"You're going back to base?" Quinn asked, walking him to the door.

"No, I'm not in the air force anymore. I own a construction company here in New York," Puck smiled, stepping out into the cold night.

"Oh, I didn't know. Were you hurt?" She asked, leaning against the doorfram with a frown. Her cousin had been in the air force for a long time until his plane had exploded and he was honourably discharged. She knew you couldn't just quit the air force, it was illegal to do so.

"Nah, just a small incident and I decided to accept the discharge," he smiled, finding his car keys.

"Well, for what its worth, I'm glad you weren't hurt," she offered, glancing down her street with a small smile. She liked the street she lived on, there were no teenagers running around with knives or breaking windows. Santana and Brittany had had trouble with that until the latina let snixx out on a group of young boys.

"Me too, a scar on my face would ruin my run with the ladies," he mock pouted, Quinn scoffing and crossing her arms.

"Thanks Q, you know, for doing this. It means a lot," he murmured, extending his arms to her for a hug.

"Its ok, I'm happy to help," she sighed as his arms closed around her, wrapping her arms around his neck to return the hug.

"It was good to see you again, Quinn," he smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear before heading for his car.

Quinn smiled at that, watching his car drive away before closing her door and locking it, heading upstairs to bed. As she washed her makeup off and got ready for bed, her smile wouldn't seem to quit. It had been good to see Puck again, and she was looking forward to the vacation in Wisconsin, even if she did have to pretend to be in love with him.

* * *

><p>The next morning she woke earlier than usual, reaching for her phone to text Puck. If they were going to Wisconsin, she needed the details for both her work and her piece of mind.<p>

_When do we start?- Q_  
><em>Good morning to you too, Fabray<em>  
><em>Good morning. When do we start?- Q<em>  
><em>I'll pick you up at six and then roadtrip to Wisconsin<em>  
><em>Right. See you then- Q<em>  
><em>What's with the '-Q'? I know its you, princess. Or is that a Yale thing?<em>  
><em>I hate you<em>  
><em>Love you too, fiancé<em>

Quinn rolled her eyes and tossed her phone aside, getting up and leaving her warm bed, rifling through her wardrobe to find her black blazer, pairing it with a dull grey dress. She hated having to dress like a forty year old business woman, but she figured success came with its downfalls. As she ran the flat iron through her hair quickly, she smiled to think that this time tomorrow she would be in Wisconsin, relaxing for the first time in years. She had worked hard to be where she was now, and relaxation had been a luxury she hadn't been afforded. It wouldn't be that bad to have to pretend to date Puck, as long as he kept his Mario Brothers theories to himself. She wondered if she would have to kiss him, not that kissing him was bad. Quite the opposite actually. He had soft lips and a long tongue that knew exactly how to slip into her mouth and turn her on. That tongue could do a lot of things to her, biting her lip hard as she remembered just what he could do to her with that tongue alone.

Quinn yelped as she burnt her ear with the flat iron, cursing and examining her bright red skin. Thinking about Puck was dangerous, case in point. She was going to have her work cut out for her these next few months, but it was worth it to give his grandmother peace of mind before she died. Grabbing her heels, Quinn stuffed her phone into her bag, jogging down the stairs and grabbing her keys. If she didn't leave now, she would hit the rush hour and she could do without being late to work.

* * *

><p>t<p>

"Miss Fabray? You have a visitor," her secretary, Laurie smiled, pushing open the door.

"Send them on in, Laurie. Thanks," Quinn answered without looking up from her computer. She was busy finishing off an adoption case, and she had to make sure it was perfect. It was bittersweet for her to reverse the adoption so this young mother could get her son back, part of her wishing she could get Beth back. But it was never that simple, not for her.

"Lucy," Russell spoke up, leaning against her doorframe, an unreadable look on his face.

Quinn looked up and froze, swallowing down her fear at seeing her father again before returning to her work.

"If you need a lawyer, I'm afraid I can't help you sir. I don't specialize in divorce," she snapped, typing faster.

"Watch your tone, Lucy," he warned, sitting across the desk from her.

"My name is Quinn," she corrected, gesturing to the metal nameplate on her desk.

"I heard you're dating your Jew again," he commented, folding his arms across his chest with a scowl.

"Where did you hear that?" She asked, glancing up at him.

"That's not what I asked," he argued, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Its none of your business who I do and don't date," she snapped, printing off the the papers she had been working on.

"I'm your father, that makes it my business," he argued, glaring at his daughter who stared blankly at him.

"You haven't made an effort to be my father since I was pregnant and you threw me out," she replied, getting up to collect the papers.

"He will ruin your life again, Lucy," he told her, pointing at the picture of Beth as evidence.

"Don't look at her. You're nothing to her. She doesn't even know you exist, so leave my daughter out of this," she hissed, grabbing a yellow folder from her drawers to file the papers in. "And as for Puck, I'm not dating him. I'm engaged to him, I'm going to marry him, Russell. My Jewish lover as you call him."

If she was going to pretend to be Puck's fiance, she might as well use it to her advantage too.

"You whore," he spat as he got up from his seat, glaring at his daughter. "You continue to sin with your Jew? You dirty whore."

"I'm a whore? Fine, Russell. I am a whore. A dirty little whore. Happy now?" She asked, arching her eyebrow at him, signing her name on the folder.

"Listen here, Lucy," he growled, grabbing her around the throat and slamming her against the wall. "You're a whore. The only reason your Jew wants you is because you spread your legs for him whenever he wants. As soon as he finds a better sex toy, you'll be all alone. Whores are always alone. You don't deserve to be loved or to know love. You're nothing, Lucy. You hear me? Nothing."

Quinn gasped for air as he let go of her throat, shakily pressing the buzzer for her secretary who came running, cheerful smile and all.

"Quinn, are you ok?" Laurie asked, her big blue eyes growing wide at the red marks on her boss's neck.

"Call security and have him escorted out of the building for me. Tell them that if he is seen anywhere near my office again, they're to call the police immediately," Quinn told her, staring Russell down, her chest heaving as she breathed deeply.

"Yes ma'am," she nodded, holding the door open for Russell to leave through. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine, Laurie," she breathed, handing her the papers and sitting back in her seat. "I'm fine."

Laurie nodded and shot her a worried look before she left with Russell, Quinn slumping down on her desk, crying into her arms.

* * *

><p>"S'up MILF?" Puck grinned, taking her bags from her and storing them in the trunk.<p>

"You're late," Quinn snapped angrily, getting into the car.

"I know, the traffic was hectic," he sighed, getting in and starting the engine, glancing over at her. "Hey, are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she answered, staring out of the window, stretching her fingers with a sigh.

"If there's something wrong, you can talk to me," he offered, not liking the way her eyes were misted over with tears.

"You're not my therapist, Puck. Stop trying to get into my head," she snapped, glaring at him before turning to stare out of the window.

"Fine, excuse me for giving a crap about you," he replied, rolling his eyes and scowling. There was the Quinn he was used to, the one that snapped at him and shot him down whenever he tried to help her or show her he cared about her.

"Are we doing a good thing? Lying to your family about us being together?" She asked finally, glancing over at him.

"Yes, why? Are you having second thoughts?" He frowned, swerving to avoid a crazy taxi speeding down the street.

"No, its just going to be nice to do something good for once," she smiled, leaning her head on the window.

'You do a lot of good things, Quinn. You helped that mom get her kid back, right? That's good," he grinned, turning on the radio.

"I guess," she sighed, changing the station and grinning as a Taylor Swift song played.

"So how was your day?" He asked, reaching to change the station. No way was he listening to Taylor Swift all the way to Wisconsin.

"Do you want me to be your fake fiance? Leave my music alone," she scowled, batting his hand away and covering the dial.

"Seriously? Taylor Swift?" He frowned, reaching for it again, yelping when she slapped his hand again.

"She has seven Grammy's," Quinn shrugged, singing along to annoy him more, smiling smugly at him.

"Never ever ever!" She sang loudly, yelping when he opened the window.

"How do you like that, Fabray?" He asked, laughing as the wind blew her hair all over her face.

"Close the window!" She yelled, grabbing at her hair to try to keep it from getting frizzy, kicking his leg hard.

"Turn blondie off," he sang, opening it further as he turned onto the highway.

Quinn scowled at him and flicked the radio off, glaring at him as he slowly closed the window. They sat in silence for the next forty minutes, Puck drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as Quinn stared out of the window, her knees hugged up to chest as she nibbled on a cookie absently. He couldn't help the feeling that something was up with her; she was never usually this quiet, or at least she wasn't the last time he saw her. Then again, the last time he saw her, the only sounds she made were her moans as they screwed in Santana's bathroom during her party.

"Russell dropped by my office today," Quinn spoke up finally, hugging her knees tighter with a sigh.

"What did he want?" Puck asked, gripping the steering wheel tighter in his hands.

"Apparently he heard that we're dating so he stopped by to call me a whore and strangle me," she admitted, sighing again and looking out of the window as they passed other cars.

"He hurt you?" He asked, brushing her hair out of the way, his eyes growing wide at the red marks around her neck. "I'll kill him."

"I might have told him we're engaged too, so I guess we're both using this now," she sighed, gesturing between the two of them, not knowing if she should call it a job or a relationship. Neither were being paid, but there were no real feelings there either.

"Hey, look at me," he frowned, taking hold of her chin gently and turning her face to see him. "I won't let him touch you again, ok? He's not going to drop in on us in Wisconsin."

Quinn offered him a grateful smile before pulling a book out of her bag, flipping through until she found the right page, her brow creasing as she concentrated on the words.

"What are you reading?" Puck asked, half hoping it was that porn book, forty shades of pink or whatever. That would be hot.

"Paper towns," she replied without looking up from the book, biting on her lip.

"Oh. Are you hungry? We can stop for a burger or something?" He offered, spotting McDonald's up ahead.

"Puck, I'm fine. I ate at home, I'd rather just get there, take a shower and sleep. Its been a long day," Quinn sighed, raising her eyebrow at him as he pulled her feet into his lap.

"As long as you don't starve on me," he shrugged, winking at her and picking up speed.

"Would that put a kink in your master plan?" She asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice. She actually was hungry, but she wasn't going to stuff her face in front of him.

"That's not why I'm asking. I'm asking because I care about you and if you're hungry we'll stop," he sighed, rolling his eyes at her and overtaking a slowing down truck.

Quinn frowned slightly and stared at him for a long moment before sighing and setting her book down.

"Puck?" She asked, nudging his thigh with her toe, offering him a genuine smile when he glanced at her. "A burger would be great."

* * *

><p>"We're here," Puck announced, shaking Quinn awake gently.<p>

Quinn groaned and slapped his hand away, blinking her eyes open slowly and looking up at the lake house before her, a smile breaking out on her face. She had loved this place when she was pregnant, it was so peaceful and charming. It had made her so relaxed to be here, and she hoped she would feel that again.

"It still looks the same," Quinn smiled, sitting up and yawning, stretching slightly.

"We're not really big on change. Why change something if its already good enough?" He shrugged, cutting the engine and stuffing his keys in his pocket.

"I like that. I like that there are some things that can't be lost or changed," she breathed, a wistful smile tugging at her lips.

"Here, I got this from that big ass jewelry place that Berry was always dragging us to. I know you don't like big rocks or anything, so I thought this one would be ok," Puck smiled, pressing a small black box into her hand.

Quinn popped open the box and gasped at the small diamond ring nestled in the black velvet. It was perfect. It was the type of engagement ring she would want, small and delicate but with a big enough diamond to mean that someone had put effort into buying it. It must have cost a fortune, and she didn't want him forking out that much on a ring.

"Its beautiful," she whispered, because it was. It was the perfect ring for her, and she wondered if he had looked for it specifically for her. "Do you think we can pull this off?"

"We loved each other once. We can do this, it'll be fine," he shrugged, taking her hand and gently slipping the ring into place.

He used to dream about the day he would buy her a ring, get down on one knee and propose to her. He was actually saving up to buy her a ring when she was pregnant, until she moved out to go and live with Mercedes. That money was still in a jar somewhere in his room; he couldn't bring himself to spend it now.

"Ok, well, let's do this," she smiled, taking another look at the ring on her finger before they got out of the car.

"Quinn!" Puck's sister, Hannah yelled, running down the porch steps and across the gravelled drive to hug her tight.

"Hannah! Look at how big you've gotten!" Quinn grinned, crouching down to hug the young girl tight. One of the biggest things she had missed when she moved out was Hannah and her easy way to comfort Quinn.

"I haven't seen you in ages," Hannah frowned, a small smile tugging at her lips as she spotted the diamond ring on her finger.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'll be around a lot more now, ok? You can show me how good you've gotten at your trumpet," Quinn grinned, getting up from her crouched position to see Ruth Puckerman heading her way.

"Quinn, its lovely to see you again. Noah has told me all about the engagement, and I'm proud to have you become a part of our family," Ruth told her genuinely, hugging her close, feeling Quinn sag in her arms.

"Leave the girl alone, Ruth. She's always been a part of this family," Maggie smiled, coming out of the house to join them.

"Maggie, I've missed you," Quinn whispered, falling happily into her arms and hugging the elderly woman tight. She hadn't realized until now just how much she had missed being around Puck's family and she felt like crying at the thought that she would be leaving soon.

"I've missed you too, pretty girl. Look at you! I didn't think it was possible for you to get any prettier but boy was I wrong. You did good, Noah. Don't let her get away again, son," Maggie advised, winking at Puck who laughed.

"You look good, grams," Puck smiled, Quinn detecting the hint of relief in his words.

It was true though, his grandma did look good. There were hints of tiredness in her face but other than that, she looked fairly healthy for a dying woman.

"I told those doctors to stick their therapy where the sun doesn't shine. If I'm dying of cancer, I'm doing it my way," Maggie told him, rubbing his head with her knuckles.

"Yes, mother, we know that you rebelled against the doctors. Let's get inside before you catch hypothermia too," Ruth sighed with a roll of her eyes, leading her mother back into the house.

"Don't you two be making any babies in that car of yours just yet! I wanna know everything!" Maggie called with a chuckle before they headed into the house, leaving Puck and Quinn by the car.

"What are we supposed to say, Puck? They're going to ask us all these questions and we don't have the answers," Quinn whispered, tugging her bag out of his trunk whilst he got her suitcase out.

"Relax, ok? I'll handle most of the questions," he shrugged, getting their cases out.

"Ok, but if they ask me how you proposed to me, I'm making up a hugely romantic proposal with rose petals and the Eiffel tower and everything," she warned, reaching for the handle of her case.

"Whatever, babe. I'll just drop in there that we had sex on top of the Eiffel tower," he shrugged, balancing cases under his arms, using his foot to close the trunk.

"I would never have sex with you in public! I would never have sex with you anyway," she hissed, following him to the porch.

"Really? I remember you were the one to pull me into the bathroom during Santana's birthday," he smirked, dodging the slap she aimed his way.

"I was drunk and lonely. It could've been that Jewish kid with the camera and I wouldn't have cared," she lied, pulling her case up the stairs.

"I'm sure that would've been his lucky day. He's probably still a virgin anyway," he snorted, setting their stuff down by the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm pretty sure he slept with Brittany," Quinn frowned, vaguely remembering the blonde talking about how his hair was a Jewish cloud.

"I'm pretty sure everyone has slept with her," he replied, closing the door behind him.

"Have you? Have you slept with Brittany?" Quinn asked, crossing her arms and arching her brow at him.

"I wouldn't answer that, son," Maggie laughed, overhearing their conversation as she slowly made her way into the living room.

"It doesn't matter if I have, I'm all yours now, babe," Puck shrugged, taking her hand and leading her to sit in front of the fire with him.

"You don't have to be embarassed, we all know what you two get up to in private anyway," Maggie chuckled, eyeing the way Puck and Quinn were sat a respectable distance away from each other, not touching at all.

Quinn blushed at the insinuation, biting her lip and glancing at Puck before crawling between his legs, awkwardly hugging into his chest as his arm slid around her waist stiffly. She was sure they would figure them out, they were so awkward with each other, not at all what you would expect to see between a newly engaged couple. So Quinn kicked it up a notch to enforce their pretence.

"Baby, why don't you tell them about how we got back together? I'm sure they'd love to hear it, and you know how much I like hearing it," Quinn purred, pressing a kiss to his neck and smirking at the fact that she had just dumped him into the first sticky patch of their story.

"I wanna hear it!" Hannah beamed from where she led on the sofa, setting her phone aside to listen to them, Ruth nodding in agreement.

"Oh, uh, sure," he muttered, mentally cursing Quinn's evil mind, planning to get her back as soon as he could.

"It was like two, maybe three years ago? I was in Times Square for a project, and I heard two people arguing. Sure enough it was this one yelling at some poor guy, so obviously I stepped in. Turns out the guy was a total douche bag so I gave him a broken nose and sent him on his way. Quinn was all over me from then on," Puck smirked, wincing as Quinn pinched his chest hard.

"That's not how it happened. You practically begged me to go on a date with you," Quinn argued, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Who was telling the story, princess?" He asked with a smirk, Quinn grumbling and settling back against his chest with a frustrated sigh. Trust him to make out like she was desperate for him. Asshole.

"So anyway, we went out to dinner at this little café in times square and that was that. I walked her home and kissed her on her doorstep, just like a real gentleman, right Q? We dated for two years before we got engaged, but that's Quinn's story to tell," Puck grinned, dumping Quinn right back into a sticky spot.

"Quinn, tell us about the proposal," Maggie encouraged, sipping on her water. "I'm sure it was everything you wanted or we wouldn't be sat here."

"Uh, right. We took a vacation to Paris a few weeks ago, and it was great. I got to see all the sights and the shops. On the last night he surprised me by taking me to dinner on top of the Eiffel Tower. He had a guitar player come and play a Taylor Swift song for me, and then he got down on one knee, rose petals and everything. It was so sweet. I mean, who knew that we both shared the same music taste, right baby?" Quinn beamed, sticking her tongue out at his scowl.

"That's so cute," Hannah gushed, her eyes big and sparkly.

"She's not telling you what we did on that tower after though, is she? It was actually her idea, and I'm pretty sure the whole of Paris heard you scream, babe," he smirked, winking at the blonde who was deciding whether or not to hit him as his mom choked on her water.

"Noah, I'm sure we didn't need to know that," Ruth sighed, rolling her eyes and shooting Quinn a sympathetic smile.

"Well, maybe I'll get a great grandchild before I go," Maggie smiled hopefully, Quinn almost choking on her tongue.

"Yeah, maybe," Puck mumbled, his sister sniggering at his expression.

"May I be excused? Its been a long day and I'd really just like to take a shower and hit the hay," Quinn yawned, stretching and pulling out of Puck's arms. She found it weird how comforting his arms were, and she didn't need to go back down that road anytime soon.

"Of course, Noah knows which room," Ruth nodded with a smile before turning to ask Hannah about school.

Puck stood and took Quinn's hand- for show, obviously- leading her out of the living room.

"You asshole, I can't believe you said we slept together like that!" Quinn hissed, hitting his chest hard.

"I warned you," he shrugged, leading her upstairs to the bedroom at the end of the hall.

There was only one bed. A double. Puck and Quinn exchanged looks before clearing their throats.

This would be fun.


	2. Nothing stays the same

**_Ok guys, so before you read this, please remember its still only my first fanfiction so go easy on me? I want to thank the four guest reviews, pennsatuckies, miss agron, QuinnyLucySexyFabray and Zanabananaa for your kind words which warmed my wee heart:) Thank you to those who have followed and favourited this fic, and a special thank you to those people on twitter (you know who you are) for your encouragement and sweet words. I really do appreciate and love y'all so much. In case any of you wondered, the title 'you're in my veins' is taken from the song In My Veins by Andrew Belle. Fun fact of the day or whatever ;)_**

**_Also, for the guest review that requested smut, that's why the fic is rated M because it will eventually get there, hopefully, but it would be unrealistic for two people, even with Puck and Quinn's chemistry, to fall right into bed after meeting again after a few years. I hope you stick with my story anyway._**

**_I'd like to offer my condolences to those affected by the aircraft that has been shot down today, I hope you find the strength to heal and mourn as you see fit. Sleep tight to those that have died_**

**_Lastly, I'd also like to offer condolences for Becca Tobin for the death of her boyfriend, Matt and to the rest of the glee cast and fandom for the one year anniversary of Cory's death. We are blessed to have him looking down on us, always._**

**_Enjoy, and feel free to review :)_**

* * *

><p><em>Everything will change, <em>

_ Nothing stays the same._

"There's only one bed?" Quinn asked, biting her lip hard as she looked around the bedroom.

The bedroom was nice, and had everything they would need in there. A double bed sat in the middle of the room, its wooden headboard backed up against the cream wall. There was a huge wooden wardrobe by a door which she assumed led to a bathroom. The room was really quite nice, except the fact that there was only one bed.

"They think we're engaged, Q. There's obviously only going to be one bed," he sighed, setting their suitcases down on the bed.

"We can't share a bed," she argued, her hands on her hips. She was not negotiating on this. The last time they shared a bed, she was pregnant and she would rather not go down that road again if she could help it.

"Because we've never done that before," he scoffed, rolling his eyes at her and opening his suitcase, unpacking his clothes.

"That was different. I was pregnant and we were dating. Kind of. I'm not pregnant anymore and we are definitely not dating," she scowled, closing the bedroom door so no one would hear them. The last thing they needed was for his family to find out this was all a big lie.

"Thank God for small mercies," he muttered, pulling open a drawer to pile his shirts into.

Quinn opened her mouth to answer before clamping her mouth shut, her eyes narrowing into an evil glare. "I'm taking a shower, and then we'll figure out this whole bed situation later."

"Take your time, MILF. If you're gonna rub one out, do it quietly," he smirked, winking at her and setting his jeans in the wardrobe.

"You're disgusting, you know that? I can't believe I made a child with you," she sighed, pulling open her suitcase to find clean pyjamas.

"Neither could your parents," he grinned, dodging the slap she sent his way.

"I'm taking a shower. Try not to do anything stupid like trapping your head in the door," she grumbled, finding a towel and heading into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her.

Quinn shoved her clothes onto the counter and let out a long sigh, leaning against the counter and splashing cold water on her face. There was no way she was going to share a bed with Puck. It wasn't that she didn't feel anything for him that way, it was quite the opposite. The feelings between them might have gone away, but the attraction was still there, and she didn't trust herself not to do something stupid again. Quinn sighed and turned on the shower, peeling off her clothes and dumping them on the floor, ready to wash away today and start fresh tomorrow.

The water was warm against her skin, and she allowed herself to sigh and relax under the spray, tilting her head back and running her fingers through her hair. She hoped this vacation would do her some good, and she hoped that Maggie would pass away happy and peaceful. She deserved that much at least.

"Quinn? Can I come in? I need to brush my teeth!" Puck called, knocking on the door loudly, leaning against the wood to hear her response over the water.

"Brush them somewhere else," she yelled back with a grin as she heard him grumble something under his breath. That was until the door swung open.

"Puck! Get out!" Quinn shouted, thanking God for the shower curtain preventing him from seeing her naked, but even still, she turned her body into the wall.

"Calm down, princess. Its not like I'm coming in here to steal your virtue or whatever," he sighed, rolling his eyes at how dramatic she was being and turning on the tap to wetten his toothbrush.

"You already did," she snapped back, crossing her arms tight across her breasts.

"And wasn't it a fabulous time for all," he remarked sarcastically, squeezing a blob of toothpaste onto his brush.

"It was for you, not so much for me. It hurts like a bitch losing your virginity," she scowled, sighing and deciding to just get on with her shower. He wasn't leaving anytime soon.

"I tried my best not to make it hurt as bad," he sighed, feeling the familiar pang of guilt in his gut. She didn't need to remind him of how badly he screwed up her first time, knocking her up and all.

Quinn sighed at that, feeling guilty for being a bitch to him. Their first time wasn't awful at all, and she was yet to find another man who could make her feel the way Puck did that night and every time since that they had slept together.

"I know. I'm sorry. You know I don't regret that night," she reminded him, lathering shampoo into her hair.

"At least we got Beth out of it all," he shrugged, brushing his teeth quickly, slowing down when he noticed he could see the outline of her body behind the shower curtain, the swell of her breasts and ass easily detectable. He wondered if he should tell her that he could practically see her naked body, deciding against it.

"I guess we did," she agreed, rinsing the bubbles out of her hair with a sigh.

"Hurry up in there. Other people would like a shower too, you know," he told her, storing his toothbrush in the drawer under the sink and leaving the room. It was at that moment that Quinn decided to use up all of the hot water for their bathroom.

* * *

><p>"I'm not sleeping on the air mattress," Quinn argued, hands on her hips.<p>

They had been arguing for almost an hour now about who got the bed and who got the air mattress. Puck figured that seeing as it was his family's house, the bed was his too, whereas Quinn argued that seeing as this whole thing was his idea and she could quit anytime, the bed should be hers.

"So you've said. I don't see why we can't just share it," he grumbled, rolling his eyes at her. Surely the bed was big enough for the both of them. Its not like he wanted to get into her pants. Unless she offered, then he would happily oblige.

"Because I know you, and you'll last five minutes before you're hitting on me and convincing me to have sex with you and we are not going down that road again. Not now, not ever," she told him firmly, making sure he was clear on that.

"Well if that's such a big worry for you, sleep on the air mattress. Simple," he shrugged, closing the curtains. This was why he avoided relationships. Everything had to be so complicated.

"I can't, I still have pain in my back from my accident in senior year. The last time I slept on the air mattress at Rachel's place, I couldn't walk properly the next day. My back still plays up a lot," Quinn admitted with a sigh, avoiding his eyes. She hated that her back still gave her troubles every now and again. It was a weakness, and Quinn Fabray was not weak.

"Oh. I forgot about your back. You're right, you can take the bed, I'll crash on the floor," he offered, grabbing a blanket from the bed and two pillows, setting up the air mattress.

Quinn nodded gratefully and climbed into the bed, sighing as she melted into the mattress. Everything about this place was so relaxing, even down to the bed. She couldn't wait to wake up in the morning and hear the birds singing and breathe in the fresh air. Maybe she would enjoy this after all.

"Goodnight Q," Puck mumbled from where he slept down by the window, tugging the blanket up under his chin. He had no idea her back was still hurting her, or he would've given her the bed right away. It was fun to tease her and watch her get angry at him, but he cared about her and if she was sore, he wasn't going to be an ass and make her sleep on the floor.

"Goodnight Puck, and can we keep this between us. Please? I don't want people to treat me like an invalid again," she sighed, turning on her side to face him, managing to make out his head in the darkness as she turned off the lamp.

"Sure. Our secret, baby," he yawned sleepily, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep, Quinn watching him do so.

She rolled onto her back with a sigh, his words taking her back to the night she got pregnant. 'Our secret, baby'. No, she wasn't going to think of that. It was behind her and there was no way in hell she would let it happen again. Eventually she fell asleep too, not missing the New York noise at all.

* * *

><p>"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," Puck grinned, shaking Quinn awake. The blonde groaned and slapped his hand away, turning onto her stomach with a huff.<p>

"Don't wanna," she whined, kicking her leg in his direction as he yanked the blankets off of her and opened the curtains wide.

"Its a beautiful day, don't you think?" He asked loudly, intent on waking her up and getting her out of bed. No way was he going down there alone.

"Not if the first thing I wake up to is you," she grumbled, but her grin told him she was joking as she sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. He thought she looked like a child when she was sleepy, part of him wondering for a moment if that's what Beth would look like waking up too.

"Ouch, princess. I'm hurt," he mock pouted, hitting her around the head with his pillows and spraying aftershave on.

"Your ego is big enough to survive a tornado. I'm sure you're fine," she sighed, rolling her eyes and climbing out of bed, rooting through the wardrobe to find her crisp white sundress. Today was the first time in months that she didn't have to wear a suit and sit in a stuffy office all day, so she was going to make the most of it.

Puck turned his back to let her get changed, whistling a random tune as he pulled his boots on. Quinn appreciated him not looking, though she checked several times to be sure he wasnt.

"So what are we doing today?" She asked as she tugged her dress into place, tossing her pyjamas onto the bed and quickly stuffing her dirty underwear into the hamper.

"I don't know yet, Hannah wanted to go swim in the lake so I might take her down there later on," he shrugged, not really bothered what they would be doing. He enjoyed being here; there was no rush to do anything right away, no urgentness unless the food ran out. It was pure relaxation and he loved it.

"Do you mind if I come too?" She asked, grabbing her hairbrush to brush though her long hair quickly, slipping her flip flops on.

"Sure, Han would probably have invited you anyway," he smiled, rolling up the air mattress and storing it under the bed. Last thing they needed was his sister finding it when she came nosing about in their room.

"At least she has manners," Quinn smirked, pausing for a moment before spraying some of his cologne onto her dress, Puck arching his brow at her. "We're supposed to be engaged. They'll already find it weird they didn't hear us having sex last night. You'd expect someone's fiancé to smell like them at least," she explained with a roll of her eyes, heading to the door.

"Whatever. You just like smelling like me," he grinned, heading down the stairs, Quinn following him.

"Yes, because you wouldn't want to smell like a sweaty pig?" She asked, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Quinn! Come sit with me," Hannah grinned, patting the chair beside her at the table as she stuffed her face full of pancakes greedily.

"I'd love to," Quinn answered, grabbing a plate before heading to sit down next to Hannah, filling her plate with pancakes and strawberries. For once she wasn't going to worry about her weight or losing the calories. This was a vacation, and she was going to enjoy it.

"You smell like Noah," Hannah grumbled, wrinkling her nose up as she caught a whiff of her brother's cologne on the blonde who leant past her for the syrup.

"That doesn't surprise me," Maggie chuckled with a knowing look at the blonde who managed to blush as if she really had slept with Puck last night.

"Its gross," Hannah announced with a distasteful look on her face. "Who'd want to smell like that sweaty pig?" She added with a grin to her brother, Quinn choking on a strawberry.

"Remember what we said about the lake? You're uninvited," Puck told his sister, chewing on a slice of toast.

"Mom!" Hannah whined, turning to Ruth who was reading the paper. "Tell him he has to take me to the lake too," she demanded, pouting at her and crossing her arms.

"Maybe your brother and his fiancé would like some alone time, Hannah," Ruth sighed without looking up from her paper. She was used to Noah and Hannah fighting at breakfast and knew he would end up taking her down to the lake anyway.

"Its ok, Hannah. You can come," Quinn assured the young girl, ignoring Puck's scowl and smiling sweetly back at him.

"This is why I like you better," Hannah sighed dramatically, finishing her breakfast and dumping her plate in the sink.

Quinn tossed a triumphant grin in Puck's direction as she finished up her breakfast, Puck simply rolling his eyes and tossing a blueberry at her head.

"No sex tonight," Quinn replied as the fruit bounced off her nose, Maggie laughing wildly, Ruth watching them in amusement.

"Please, babe. We all know I last longer without than you do. I like it but you need it," he shot back, laughing as her jaw dropped open.

"Take that back," she demanded, throwing a handful of blueberries at him.

"Make me," he challenged, opening his mouth to catch one of the berries, the rest landing on the floor.

"Fine. I will," she answered, getting up from the table as he did too, ready to run if he tried anything.

Puck laughed at her defensive position, knowing that all he had to do was spook her and she'd run for her life.

"Boo," he yelled suddenly, Quinn screaming and running out of the open patio doors, jumping down from the deck and running across the grass, hearing Puck chasing her and picking up speed. He would tickle her, she knew he would and she hated being tickled.

"Stop!" She cried, laughing as she ran, clutching her stomach. She was so unfit that she was getting out of breath already. Maybe being stuck in that office all the time really was bad for her.

Puck jogged after her lazily, watching the way her hair shone under the sun as she ran, the sway of her hips and the way he knew her breasts would be jumping in her dress. He slowed down to a walk as they neared the sandy bank of the lake, Quinn stopping once she reached the edge of the water, closing her eyes and tilting her head back, feeling the cool water wash over her toes as the sun warmed her face. It felt so good to run and to laugh again, and to feel the sun shining down on her face.

"Someone looks happy," he noted, kicking his shoes off to join her at the edge of the water, a small smile tugging at his lips at the blissful look on her face. He hadn't seen her this relaxed in, well, ever.

"I haven't done this in years. Relaxed that is. Its been years since I've relaxed and allowed myself to have fun," she smiled, her eyes still closed as she listened to the birds sing. "I'd almost forgotten how," she added with a happy sigh.

"Let me show you how," he offered, tucking her hair behind her ear as a light breeze blew her blonde locks into her face.

"You think you can help me relax? I've spent every day since I graduated high school working my ass off to be where I am now. Do you know how hard it is for someone that young and for a woman to be taken seriously in my line of work. I have worked my ass off to drag myself up the ladder to be where I am now. I don't take breaks, or holidays. That's how I'm able to have so much time off now to be here. I've had to suck up to as many people as possible to be given a shot and along the way I think I forgot how to be happy," she admitted with a sigh, opening her eyes and staring out at the water, smiling at the way the sun shone along the water.

Puck was silent for a moment before he wrapped his arms tight around her and slung her over his shoulder, wading out into the lake as she screamed and beat her fists on his back.

"Put me down!" She ordered, trying to kick her legs, but he was stronger than she thought.

"Or what? You'll sue me, lawyer? You want to have fun and relax? Here's the first step. Stop being so uptight," he announced before dropping her into the water, Quinn shrieking as she fell into the water.

She kicked her legs wildly and broke the surface, coughing up water and pushing her hair back off her face, glaring at Puck who laughed at her.

"I hate you," she scowled, splashing water at him, giggling as he coughed and spluttered.

"Wait, what was that? Was that a laugh I heard?" He asked in mock amazement, Quinn rolling her eyes at him. "Quinn Fabray knows how to laugh?! Someone document this historic moment!" He cried dramatically, laughing as she tackled him, the two of them falling backwards into the water.

Under the water was clearer than she thought it would be, and she found herself grinning as she opened her eyes and found him bobbing before her, a matching grin on his face before they broke the surface.

"I know how to laugh," she smiled, laughing as Hannah came running into the water fully clothed also, swimming over to join them.

"This is awesome!" Hannah yelled happily, squealing as Puck lifted her up and tossed her away into the water before splashing Quinn who shrieked and covered her face, her dripping wet dress clinging to her body, exposing her hot pink bra to his gaze.

"That was perfectly measured!" She laughed, splashing him back, grinning up at him as he wiped water from his face and dumped a handful on her hair.

"There you go," he smirked, watching as water ran down her face, drops glistening like crystals on her eyelashes, the two engaging in a water fight, pushing and shoving each other into the water, laughing wildly.

Quinn was a lot stronger than she looked, and she managed to get him down in the water again, but this time he grabbed her tight to his chest as they broke the surface, Quinn wiping the water from his face as he pushed her hair back, their faces close as Quinn's laughter died down to a breathless giggle, their wet bodies tight together.

"Just kiss already!" Hannah yelled from where she was led on the sandy bank, Maggie and Ruth watching them with amusement.

Quinn giggled again before she stretched up to peck his lips with a smile, figuring it would help keep up their pretence, her smile fading as she moaned against his lips, the supposed to be chaste kiss turning into a deeper, hotter kiss as their lips melded together, warmth spreading throughout her body, eliciting another moan from her as his tongue stroked along her lip. Puck was lost for words when she tore away from his lips, a deep blush settling in her cheeks as she cleared her throat.

"They saw it," she muttered, her voice a low whisper before she plastered a big smile on her face and headed out of the water, grabbing a towel from the stack beside Hannah.

He frowned for a moment until he glanced over at his grams who winked and smiled at him, her comment making sense now. Of course the kiss was fake. The whole thing was fake. He had to remember that. Puck shook his head free of thoughts before walking out of the water, grabbing a towel to rub his hair with absently, watching Quinn and his grams strolling back to the house, sitting down beside his sister, his lips still tingling from her kiss. Maybe this would be more fun than he thought.

* * *

><p>"You know, I really have missed this place," Quinn commented as she and Maggie strolled through the grass towards the house. For some reason, she really didn't care that her dress was dripping wet.<p>

"Its home," Maggie smiled simply, thankful for Quinn's slow pace. "Its a place to call home and be surrounded by family. A place where no judgement is passed. Everybody needs a place like that, pretty girl," she added.

"That's one of the main reasons I loved this place so much when I was pregnant. It was the only place I could go where I wasn't insulted besides the glee club. Sometimes, I wish I could've spent my whole pregnancy here and just brought Beth up here where no one knew me, knew us. It would've been easier," Quinn sighed, stroking over her flat stomach. She used to hate the bulge of her daughter growing within her and did everything in her power to hide it. It was funny how much she missed it now.

"That would've been hiding, and hiding doesn't solve anything," Maggie mused, brushing her fingers along the overgrown grass, a small smile on her face.

"No, it doesn't," Quinn agreed with a sigh. "But its a whole lot easier," she added.

"Maybe, but if you don't have to fight for your happiness, how would you truly appreciate it?" Maggie asked, looking to the blonde, seeing now the lines of sadness bracketing her eyes.

Quinn smiled at that, curling her toes in the grass for a moment before continuing to walk beside her, grateful for her company.

"Did you ever get to see her again?" Maggie wondered, thinking of the one picture she had of her great granddaughter.

"Senior year, yes. But I did some things I'm not proud of, things I thought would give me my daughter back. I ended up losing her all over again, and I took away Puck's chance to be her father again. We haven't seen or heard from her since. She'll be ten in two months," Quinn confessed, a lump of emotion clogging up her throat and causing her voice to break.

"Oh, Quinn. If you truly believed those things would give you back your child, can you really say they were mistakes? You're a mother who longs for her child. That is not a thing to be ashamed of. Its a hard thing to carry with you, but its not an embarrassment. You should be proud of yourself for caring about Beth. Other teen mothers wouldn't," Maggie assured her, taking and squeezing her hand gently.

"I miss her, more than I ever thought possible. Its at the most random of moments when it hits me. Like now in the lake, I think Beth would've loved to have been part of that. To be here with us. I know Puck misses her too, he just doesn't like to talk about it," she sighed, looking over her shoulder at Puck who was chasing Hannah around the trees.

"Is it something you talk about often? Your regrets over Beth?" Maggie asked gently, hoping not to upset the blonde who looked on the verge of tears already.

"No. We did for a while in senior year but no. Its easier not to," Quinn muttered, twisting her ring around her finger. She couldn't exactly tell Maggie that she hadn't even spoken to Puck for five years, because they were pretending to be engaged.

"Is it?" she asked, raising her eyebrow at her as they reached the deck, sitting on the bench swing. "I think maybe you're both hurting over the adoption, so it couldn't do any harm to talk it out. I know Noah feels as though he abandoned you and Beth, that he didn't do enough to be a father. I'm sure you would have a response to that, so maybe it would help you to talk to him too."

Quinn nodded and let out a long sigh, leaning back against the cushions of the swing, feeling the sun warming her face, her dress almost dry now anyway.

"I'm glad he has you, Quinn. The biggest part about dying that I hate, is leaving them behind. Hannah has Ruth, and visa versa, but I truly thought I would be leaving Noah here alone. I can't tell you how much peace it brings me to know that he has you to fall back on. I'm grateful for that," Maggie told her softly, watching her family with a smile. She was so happy to spend her last months surrounded by family.

"I know that he'll miss you, more than he lets on," Quinn nodded, knowing that when Maggie inevitably passed away, Puck would be in ruins. "I'll miss you too," she added, because it was true. She would miss her.

"I know that, but you'll fix him. You've always been the one to fix him, even when he didn't want you to."

* * *

><p>"Hey," Quinn whispered, leaning against the doorframe, watching Puck cutting the vegetables for the lasagne.<p>

"Hi," Puck smiled, offering her a smile before returning to cutting up carrots.

"Can I join you?" she asked, crossing the room at his nod, taking the pea pods and starting to shell them.

"I thought maybe we could talk about Beth," she sighed after a long moment, dropping peas into a ball.

"What about her?" he asked, not so sure this was a good topic for them to discuss. Talking about Beth hurt them both, no matter how much they tried to hide it.

"I want you to know that I don't blame you for anything that happened, and I don't regret it either. You didn't fail me or our baby. I'm glad I had you by my side," Quinn sniffed, offering him a teary smile as he looked up at her.

"Do you mean that?" he asked, studying her eyes, searching for the truth.

"Yes," she nodded before returning to her peas.

"Thank you, you know, for saying that," he smiled, cutting the carrots carefully.

"You're welcome," she grinned, nudging him with a smile.

They continued preparing for dinner in silence until Puck spoke up, figuring he should give her some piece of mind too. Ease some of her guilt too.

"I don't hate you or blame you for giving her up for adoption. You're a good mother, and I don't regret anything either. I'm glad that its you I share Beth with," he told her honestly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze when she looked up at him.

"Not even for senior year? You don't hate me for what I did?" she asked, a hint of hope and disbelief in her voice.

"No, I could never hate you. Not even if I wanted to," he sighed, smiling at her and using his sleeve to catch a tear that fell from her eye.

"Thank you, for choosing to tell me that," she whispered, flashing him a small smile.

"No problem, MILF," he teased, causing her to laugh and hit his arm.

"Just when I was starting to like you," she snorted, rolling her eyes at him.

"You've always liked me," he replied cockily.

Yes, she had. But she wouldn't tell him that.

* * *

><p>"Next step to relaxing, watching lame movies and stuffing your face with as much junk food as possible before the film ends. If you fall asleep, you lose," Puck announced, carrying a huge bowl of popcorn into the living room that was covered in cushions and blankets, the curtains drawn and the lights off.<p>

"How many carbs are in there?" Quinn asked, wrinkling her nose up as she took the ball from him, Ruth laughing and shaking her head.

"Nuh uh, princess. That's the thing with relaxing. You don't bother about the carbs," he grinned, taking his seat beside her as his sister hooked Netflix up to the TV.

"You're really taking this seriously aren't you?" Quinn asked, arching her brow at him.

"Nope, because when you're relaxing, nothing is serious," he shrugged, sprawling out on their designated cushions.

"Just Gone With It or 21 Jump Street?" Hannah asked from the laptop, scrolling through the movies.

They ended up watching Just Gone With It, much to Puck's disappointment.

"Wait, so he's pretending to be married to that chick to get some from the other chick? This film is rubbish, that would never happen really," Puck complained, Quinn sniggering into his chest.

"Right, that would never happen. Who would ask someone to be their fake fiancé?" Quinn asked, arching her brow at him, Puck simply grinning back at her.

"Good thing I have a real one them, right Q?" he smirked, pulling her in tighter to his side.

"Like I had a choice," Quinn muttered, Maggie hearing and laughing at them.

Puck looked down at Quinn a few minutes later to see her head rolling from his shoulder onto his chest, her eyes closed and her lips slightly parted as she breathed softly, her arms around his waist. At least their pretend relationship meant they had to pretend cuddle, meaning Quinn had someone to sleep on.

"That's so cute," Hannah cooed when she noticed Quinn was sleeping, about to take a picture when Puck snatched her phone from her.

"Quinn has a sixth sense. She'd kick you in the face," he lied, returning his attention to the film. Really, he figured it was just easier for them both if there was no photographic evidence of their charade. It would be easier to forget that way.

* * *

><p>"Come on, Q. Wake up, you can sleep when you get your sweet ass upstairs," Puck grumbled, shaking Quinn's shoulder. No way was he carrying her upstairs then sleeping on the floor. She had legs, she could use them.<p>

Quinn groaned in response and cuddled tighter to him, Puck sighing and rolling his eyes.

"You owe me for this," he muttered before lifting her up in his arms, carrying her to the stairs.

"Goodnight Noah," Ruth smiled, coming out of the kitchen to see her son carrying his sleeping fiancé.

"Night, mom," he sighed, carrying Quinn up the stairs, marvelling at how light she was. He hoped she wasn't still on the cheerios diet or something stupid like that.

"S'going on?" Quinn mumbled thickly, not opening her eyes.

"I'm carrying your lazy ass to bed seeing as you fell asleep on me and wouldn't wake up," he smiled cheerily, laying her down on the bed and tugging her shoes off.

"Mmm," she hummed happily, her body melting into the mattress again, hugging her pillow to her chest.

"Yeah, now you wanna act all cute," he grumbled, flicking off the lamp and undressing quickly, pulling his pyjama pants on and setting up his air mattress, settling down and tugging his blanket up over his body with a sigh.

"Puck?" Quinn asked softly, cracking one eye open.

"What? Should I carry you to the toilet now?" he asked without opening his eyes.

"No, I wanted to thank you for today. For helping me relax and enjoy myself. It was a good day," she smiled happily, rubbing her eyes.

"Oh, well, you're welcome," he replied with a smile, glad she was having fun with him.

"But you're still a jerk," she added after a moment before closing her eyes.

Well, maybe not so much _with_ him after all.

"And you're a spoilt brat," he grinned, turning onto his stomach with a yawn.

"Goodnight to you, too."

_But to catch a glimpse of sunlight,_

_ Shining, shining down on your face._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a review, and any suggestions you have are welcome. Feel free to leave them in reviews or tweet them to me :) Have a great day!<strong>_


	3. People say goodbye

_**Hey guys! Thank you all for the amazing reviews and for following and favoriting this fic. It means a lot to know y'all are liking it so far! I want to thank Zanabananaa for being like my own personal cheerleader for this story, Pennsatuckies, AgronSalling and the others that took the time to review. Thank y'all for being so amazing! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

* * *

><p><em> Listen, listen, I would take a whisper if<em>

_ that's all you had to give..._

Quinn smiled and stretched as she opened her eyes, feeling the warm sun rays dancing across her skin. She glanced over at Puck who was still fast asleep down by the window, sprawled out on the tiny air mattress. She felt awful for making him sleep on the floor, it was his family's house after all, but she didn't want to let him into the bed with her. She was afraid of herself, of her lack of self control when around him. Afraid that she wouldn't be able to stop herself from craving his body. Puck had been so kind to her as well, and she was seriously starting to think he was a changed man. He had took it upon himself to help her relax yesterday, and she was grateful for that. Looking at the clock, she saw it was almost ten, smiling and sitting up. She hadn't slept that late in years.

"Morning, Lady Fabray," Puck yawned, stretching and sitting up, rubbing his eyes.

"Morning," she smiled, her smile freezing as they heard Hannah barelling up the stairs.

The two exchanged looks before Puck quickly leapt into the bed, Quinn tugging his arms around her quickly as the door flew open and Hannah ran in.

"We're going hiking today!" Hannah announced, wrinkling her nose up in disgust at her brother and his fiancé cuddled tight together.

"Great, thanks for that, Han. You can go now," Puck sighed, rolling his eyes at her, his leg already cramping from where Quinn was led awkwardly on him.

"You have to get up," she told them both before heading back downstairs, her footsteps thumping loudly down the stairs.

"That was close," Puck muttered, climbing out of the bed and grabbing some clean clothes from the drawers.

"Yeah, we need to be more careful," she agreed with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Calm down, babe. If we end up getting caught, I'll just say you kicked me out of the bed because you're grumpy," he smirked, grabbing a towel so he could take a shower.

"Always the gentleman," she sighed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes at him.

"That's me," he grinned before heading into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

* * *

><p>"Whose idea was this again?" Quinn asked, crossing her arms tight across her chest with a scowl.<p>

They were halfway through the woods, there were flying insects everywhere that decided to attack her skin and she had fallen into the mud more times than she could count.

"Mine!" Hannah replied cheerfully from up ahead, Puck looking back and sniggering at the blonde when she scowled back at him angrily.

"Can't your fancy shoes handle a little mud?" He teased, trekking back to help her walk up the start of the hill.

"I'm not wearing fancy shoes," she snapped, pointing down to her muddy trainers with a sigh, shrugging him off and stomping away from him after Hannah.

"Only because I told you to change into them," he grinned, keeping up with her easily. He was used to hiking from the air force, so this was a piece of cake

"Leave me alone," she hissed, trying to walk faster. She didn't need or want his company or help.

"Wow, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," he grinned, handing her his water bottle to drink from. He told her to bring her own but no, she knew everything of course.

"I am this close to telling them the truth and going home," she threatened, measuring the tiniest gap between two fingers, pushing his bottle away from her. She didn't want anything from him.

"So why don't you? Why don't you tell them all the truth?" He asked, watching her freeze up ahead. "Its because you're happy here, isn't it? Its because you walk around like you're big and tough, like nothing hurts you, when in reality you're lonely and you're scared. You're still here because back home even with your fancy car and your big house, you're all alone."

Quinn let out a quivering breath, holding back tears before turning on her heel and storming over to him, slapping him hard across the face.

"You don't know me. You've never known me. I'm still here because I care about your grams being happy and I wanted to be able to say goodbye to her. This has nothing to do with me and you. I am not alone, and I'm not scared. Don't act like you know me," she spat, glaring at him before heading after his sister as fast as she could, her hand tingling from hitting him.

Puck blinked for a second before following after them, rubbing his cheek absently. How dare she hit him like that just because he had hit the nail on the head. He did know her, whether she liked it or not. They knew each other inside out.

A while later, they were almost at the top of the hill, Hannah walking happily with Ruth whilst Quinn lagged behind, clutching her side. Puck hadn't spoken a word to her since she hit him, and she was starting to feel guilty about it. She had hit him because he had gotten everything right about her. She was all alone. No one from the glee club really bothered with her besides Mercedes, and she figured that was her karma for being such a bitch to them all when she was head cheerleader. Her career left her with next to no spare time for socialising, so had little company, and her love life had been none existent ever since her last boyfriend, Jason, had cheated on her with her former secretary in their bed. Puck was right about her, and she hated it.

"Can we take a break?" Quinn asked, panting for air and reaching out her sweaty hand to tug on Puck's sleeve and get his attention. "Please," she added when it looked like he was going to ignore her or push her away.

"We're almost at the top, you can rest then," he muttered before continuing up the hill. It hurt that she had hit him, not just physically but emotionally as well. He really thought they could form some sort of friendship, but maybe he was wrong.

"Puck, please. I can't breathe," she wheezed, clutching her side. Her lungs felt like they were on fire, which was sad considering she used to be able to sprint laps around the football field for an hour straight without stopping thanks to Sue's crazy cheerleading exercises.

Puck sighed and nodded, gesturing for her to sit down on the grass before yelling up to his mom.

"Mom, Quinn and I are taking a break. We'll catch up later," he called, Ruth glancing back and nodding before continuing.

"Thank you," Quinn breathed, shrugging her backpack off and rubbing at her ribs, trying to get rid of the pain there.

"Here, it'll help," he offered, holding out his bottle to her again.

Quinn took it gratefully this time, gulping the water down as fast as she could, moaning in relief as her body was rehydrated.

"Thanks," she smiled, handing it back to him, swallowing hard when he simply nodded in response and looked away, staring out at the trees.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you," she whispered, touching his knee lightly and biting her lip. She truly was sorry for taking out her frustration on him.

"Its fine, you were right. I don't know you," he shrugged, retying the laces of his trainers.

"We both know that's not true. You know a lot more about me than most people," she sighed, leaning back on her hands and squinting against the harsh sunlight that decided to try to blind her.

"Yeah, well when you have a kid with someone, I guess that's the result," he muttered, handing her his sunglasses. He didn't need them anyway, not really.

"I still shouldn't have hit you. I was just angry because you hit the nail right on the head. I am alone. I spend my nights in bed with a pizza watching The Notebook and then hate myself for actually eating the pizza because my weight is bad enough as it is. My ex boyfriend cheated on me with my former secretary and the only person that bothers with me is Mercedes. Everyone else hates me for what I did to them when I was head cheerleader. I'm still here because I can lull myself into believing you and your family actually want me around. I have nothing to go back to, no one to go back to," she confessed, a deep sigh leaving her lips.

She was stupid really to believe that popularity truly mattered. Yes, she was the most popular girl in high school, but where had it gotten her? Alone. She was all alone.

"God, Q, I'm sorry. I didn't know about your ex," he sighed, offering her a sympathetic smile.

"Its my karma for cheating on Finn and Sam," she shrugged, picking at her nails. "I'm sorry for taking it out on you."

"I forgive you," he smiled, squeezing her knee lightly. "And you're not alone. All you have to do is pick up the phone and I'll be there for you," he added after a moment, because it was true. He wouldn't ever shut her out, no matter how much he wished he could.

"Do you mean that?" she asked, hating the desperation in her voice, like she needed him.

"Yeah, I mean it," he grinned, taking a gulp of his water.

"Thank you," she breathed, stroking over his cheek, wishing she could take back the slap. "And if you ever call me, I'll be there for you too," she promised with a small smile.

"Why don't we start walking again? Maybe you'll get to the top before midnight," he teased, getting up and extending his hand, helping her to her feet.

"Walk with me. We can talk. We've never done that before," Quinn offered, pulling her backpack on.

"You actually want to talk about things?" Puck asked in disbelief, keeping his pace slow so she could keep up with him.

"Why do you sound so surprised?" she wondered, glancing up at him with a confused frown.

"We've done everything: sex, had a baby together, tried to get our baby back, snuck around and helped each other out, but talking is something we never do. Like ever," he grinned, Quinn laughing at his Taylor Swift reference.

"I knew you liked her really," she grinned, finding it easier to keep up now they were talking again. "That's my point. We've gone through more than most people ever will, so why is it weird for us to talk?"

"I don't know. What do you want to talk about?" he asked, helping her over a fallen tree trunk.

"Something important," she smiled, keeping hold of his arm as they walked. What? She didn't want to fall.

"Ok, how are things with you and your family?" he asked, feeling her hand stiffen slightly before she sighed.

"Tense. I don't see them unless I have to. My mom pretends everything is perfect. Beth isn't even a topic of conversation for us. Its always about Frannie, and how successful she is, and how wonderful her children are. Its like in her mind, I never had a child. My sister and I have always had a difficult relationship, and I guess I still hate that she never once came to help me during my pregnancy. Not even a phone call. And then there's my father. I hadn't seen him since I was sixteen, and the first thing he does is call me a whore. So I guess you can say my family life is pretty bad," she admitted, feeling a little lighter for getting it all off her chest.

Puck was silent for a moment as he let her words sink in. "Wow," he sighed finally, Quinn nodding her head.

"Too much for you?" she asked, a smile quirking the corner of her mouth.

"No, I meant wow your family are idiots. They don't deserve you," he smiled, taking her hand in his and squeezing gently.

"Your turn," she encouraged, keeping her hand in his. "Tell me about your dad."

"There's not much to tell. He beat me about when I was a kid and left when my mom got pregnant with Hannah. I was about nine or ten," he shrugged, feeling her hand squeeze his comfortingly. "He came back in senior year, took my college fund and left again. I didn't think I'd ever see him again after that but he broke into my house last year and robbed me blind."

"God, Puck. I'm so sorry," she sighed, threading her fingers through his to hold his hand tighter.

"We both have crappy dads," he shrugged, helping her up over another log.

"Real dad's don't leave their kids," she agreed, the feel of his hands on her hips sending shivers down her spine.

"I left ours," he muttered bitterly, because it was true.

"No, Noah. We set her free."

* * *

><p>"Isn't the view amazing?" Ruth asked a little while later as Puck and Quinn finally caught up to them.<p>

"Wow," Quinn breathed, letting go of Puck's hand to step forward and stare out at the view of the treetops and the lake shining under the sunset. It truly was breath taking.

"Careful," Puck frowned, grabbing hold of her hips so she wouldn't fall, keeping her back against his chest.

"Don't you think its pretty?" Quinn asked, pointing out at the lake before finding her camera in the pocket of her jacket, holding it up to her eye to snap pictures of it.

"Yeah, its pretty cool," he grinned, wondering how the water had that golden glow about it.

"You're such a guy," she grumbled, turning the camera around suddenly and snapping a picture of the two of them.

"Let me see," he ordered, Quinn giggling and jumping away from him, holding the camera high above her head.

"No," she giggled, clasping it to her chest.

"Let me see," he repeated, walking towards her, Quinn shaking her head and laughing again, Ruth watching them in amusement.

"Nope," she refused, tossing the camera to Hannah as he tackled her, the two of them falling into the leaves.

"Got you," he smirked, plucking a leaf out of her hair absently.

"Congratulations," she replied, grinning up at him.

"That's a cute picture," Hannah called suddenly, snapping a picture of them in the leaves.

"Hannah!" he yelled, leaping up and chasing after his sister, leaving Quinn missing his body warmth.

Ruth came over to her, a smile on her face as she helped Quinn to her feet, laughing and shaking her head at her children chasing each other for the camera.

"Are they always like this?" Quinn asked, wondering when he had gotten so close to his sister. When they had lived together, he couldn't stand his sister.

"Most of the time. He got closer to her after Beth was born," she smiled, pausing when she realised what she had said.

"I'm glad she brought them closer," Quinn smiled, stroking her flat stomach with a sigh.

"Beth has done a lot of good things," Ruth agreed, rubbing her back comfortingly. "I know you both miss her a lot."

"Yes, but its better for Beth this way," she sighed, smiling and catching the camera from Hannah.

"Maybe," Ruth mused. In her opinion, Beth should still be here with them, but it wasn't her decision to make. "Maybe you and Noah will have more children one day soon. I think that'll ease a lot of the pain and guilt over Beth," she added.

"Yes, maybe," Quinn mumbled, stuffing her camera into her pocket.

How was she supposed to say there was no way she and Puck would have another child, because they would never be together again, when Ruth believed they were engaged? She would never have another child with him, never have another perfect thing. Puck grinned as he walked over to her, and she found herself smiling again. Yes, this was all fake, but if it made her happy for a little while, why not embrace it?

"Ready to walk back now?" he asked, fighting the urge to smirk as she took his hand again.

"As I'll ever be," she sighed, winking at him and letting him lead the way back down the hill.

Maybe in New York she was all alone, but not here.

Here she had a family.

* * *

><p>"How was the hike?" Maggie asked with a grin, opening the take out boxes as her family came back in. She had wanted to go hiking too, but she was no longer in any shape to do so.<p>

"It was great, grams! Quinn was super slow so Noah had to take a break with her for ages," Hannah grinned, bounding onto the sofa to hug her.

"Hmm, I hope the two of you at least managed to find shelter first," Maggie told the couple who were curled up in the armchair.

"What?! Grams, we literally sat down and had a rest. No funny business, I promise," Puck promised, his eyes wide at the accusation whilst Quinn was fighting the urge to spit out her water.

"Sure you did. I bet you were kissing," Hannah smiled smugly, opening her take out box and stuffing noodles into her mouth.

"Shut it, squirt," Puck scowled, popping open his box, Quinn handing him the chopsticks with a smirk.

"So how was it otherwise?" Maggie asked, thanking Ruth who moved the coffee table closer to her so she could rest her feet on it.

"It was cool, there were squirrels and stuff," Hannah chirped happily, glad to be able to talk as much as she wanted.

"What did you think of it, Quinn?" she asked, looking to the blonde who was playing with her camera, clearly hiding something from Puck who was trying to see.

"The view was amazing. I've never seen something so amazing," she breathed, her eyes shining.

"Don't tell our kids that," Puck teased, snatching the camera to finally see the picture of them.

"Who would want kids with you?" Quinn asked, snatching it back and stuffing it behind her back.

"You did," he grinned, ruffling her hair and stuffing noodles into her mouth to shut her up, Quinn's eyes narrowing at him.

"Lets look at the baby pictures," Ruth smiled sweetly, Puck glaring at her.

"Quinn, look at Noah! He's all naked with the Mohawk and stuff," Hannah laughed, Quinn grinning and leaping over to see the pictures.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you were actually born with a Mohawk!" Quinn laughed again, clutching her stomach as she fell back on the bed almost crying with laughter.<p>

"Its still not funny, Lucy," Puck scowled, grabbing his blankets to set up his air mattress as she changed into her pyjamas quickly, but not quick enough to stop him catching a glimpse of her bra.

"It is. I thought you actually liked that haircut but its naturally like that!" she cried in laughter, tumbling out of the bed.

"Go to sleep, Quinn," he grumbled, flicking off the lights.

Quinn grinned at him in the darkness and huddled under the quilt, turning on her camera to look at the pictures of them again. They looked so cute together, almost like they really were a couple. Maybe she should have pursued a career in acting after all. She sighed and turned the camera off, staring up at the ceiling and listening to Puck's steady breathing. She had been awful to him, hitting him like that and she felt so guilty, even though he had told her a dozen times over that he forgave her for it. A bolt of lightning flashed outside their window, followed by a rumble of thunder, Quinn clutching the sheets to her breasts, trying to calm down.

She had never quite gotten over her fear of thunder.

As the thunder rolled again, she slid out of bed and hurried over to Puck shaking him awake.

"Q? Wassup?" he asked thickly, squinting up at her, hearing the thunder roll. Oh.

"Its thundering. Can you sleep in the bed with me tonight?" she asked tearfully. "Or I'll sleep down here with you," she offered when he didn't reply. "Please," she added.

Puck nodded and got up, leading her over to the bed and getting in with a sigh. The bed was so much better than the floor.

"Can you hold me?" she whispered, and he could hear the fear in her voice.

He nodded and slid up close to her, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling her neck.

"You're safe. I've got you now. Go to sleep," he murmured, holding her close to him, feeling her trembling in his arms.

"Goodnight, Noah," she whispered, holding his arms tight around her.

"Goodnight, Lucy," he answered sleepily, falling back to sleep easily.

That was the first time someone called her by her real name and she didn't hate it.

She felt safe in his arms, and she prayed he would keep her safe always.

_You could come and save me and, try to chase the crazy right out of my head._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Feel free to review ;) have a great day!<strong>_


	4. In their own special way

_**Updating again because next week I'm on the ncs challenge so wont be able to update at all. I want to thank Chloe, ems5892, bethcraigxx and agronaut13 for the reviews. Thank y'all for the support and kind words :) also, thank you to readbetweenthesigns, I may or may not have freaked out a little (ok a lot) to see you review my story. Thank you!**_

_**I hope you enjoy :)**_

* * *

><p><em>I shot for the sky, I'm stuck on the ground.<em>

_ Why do I try? I know I'm gonna fall down.._

Quinn woke up to warm, strong arms wrapped around her waist, the sun warming their exposed upper bodies. She turned her head slightly to see Puck's face nestled into her neck, frowning slightly before slipping out of his arms, heading for the bathroom to take a quick shower.

She remembered hitting him yesterday, and the way they actually talked about important things for once, as well as the way he held her last night when she was scared. She was getting way too involved in this, and she needed to keep herself as detached from him as she could. This was a favour, a job of sorts, and she had to remember to perform, not to lose herself.

Quinn sighed and turned the water on, shedding her pyiamas quickly and climbing into the shower, pulling the curtain closed behind her. The warm water felt amazing on her skin, and she allowed herself to draw on some of her inner strength. She had managed after Beth was born to learn to shut people out again, she just needed to learn how to shut Puck out too.

"Q, are you in there?" Puck asked, tapping the door with his foot as he made the bed.

"Yes," she called back, lathering shampoo into her hair, scowling when she realized it was his shampoo, and she would smell like him all day now, no matter how much perfume she wore. Great.

"I'm heading into town soon to get Hannah a birthday present, do you wanna come?" He asked, changing into clean jeans and a bird t-shirt.

Say no. Say no. Say no. Say no.

"Sure! Just give me twenty minutes," she replied, much to her brain's unhappiness and her heart's joy.

"Ok, I'll go see if breakfast is ready," he told her before heading downstairs, Quinn pinching the bridge of her nose with a sigh.

So much for learning to shut him out.

* * *

><p>"So what are you wanting to get Hannah for her birthday?" Quinn asked as they drove down the country road, watching the greenery pass them by.<p>

"Maybe a new trumpet? I don't know, she's hard to buy for," Puck frowned, drumming his fingers along the steering wheel.

"She's a teenage girl, Puck. She's not that hard to buy for," she sighed, rolling her eyes and turning up the air conditioning.

"Well, its a good thing you're coming too, you can help," he shrugged, turning into a parking lot and pulling up, cutting the engine.

"Great," she muttered, popping her seatbelt and grabbing her purse from the floor of the car. This whole detaching situation wasn't going so well at this point.

"Hey, are you ok? You seem kind of pissed off," he noted as they got out of the car, double checking it was locked before leading her towards the huge market set up ahead.

"I'm fine, just tired," she lied, pulling her camera out to snap pictures of the brightly decorated market flags billowing in the wind.

"I didn't know you were still scared of the thunder until last night," he murmured, glancing to her hand and smiling to see she was still wearing her ring. He hadn't seen her take it off yet, and the thought made him feel good inside.

"Its a childhood thing. My sister locked me out in a thunderstorm once, and I had to spend the whole night out by myself in the pool house," she shrugged, nodding and smiling at on old woman who grinned warmly at her as they made their way down the gravelled path.

"Didn't your parents care to let you back in?" He asked in surprise, staring at her to see if she was lying or messing with him. Didn't look like she was.

"They didn't notice I was gone, or if they did, they never cared to come see where I was," she admitted, snapping a picture of the charming houses lining the streets.

"That sucks," he frowned, stopping abruptly as Quinn paused to look at the bright fruits on sale at a stall.

"I guess," she muttered distractedly, smiling and picking up a bright red apple, Puck taking her camera and snapping a picture of her with a grin.

"How much?" Quinn asked the old man who smiled up at her kindly.

"No charge for a beautiful woman," the man smiled, dismissing her with a wave of his hand and a laugh.

Quinn laughed and shook her head, fishing out five dollars and handing it to the man anyway before biting into the apple happily.

"Your wife is very kind and beautiful, sir. Keep her close," the man advised Puck with a wink as he put the money in a tin.

"Yes, sir," Puck nodded before taking her hand and leading her away from the bright fruits she was so mesmerised by.

"This is the best apple I've ever had," Quinn grinned, taking another bite and chewing absently as Puck stopped to look at old records, studying them intently.

"It should be, too. The Jenson family own their own orchard just out of town. Their fruit is always the best," he told her, flipping through the records as Quinn stood close by him, looking around her with a smile.

"You could have enough space for one too, right?" She asked, taking the record he handed her and laughing to see it was the record for Sweet Caroline. She had been so amazed by him when he performed that, even if it wasn't for her.

"I guess so, but grams is too sick to be tending to an orchard and we don't come up here often enough to help out," he shrugged, shelling out thirty bucks for the record.

"Oh, right," Quinn frowned, licking the apple juice from her lips as they continued. "Did you buy that for Rachel?" She asked, gesturing to the record bag he held, a flicker of jealousy shooting through her before she could stop it.

"No, why would I buy something for Berry?" He asked, looking at her like she had grown two heads.

"You sang that to her, remember? When you were dating?" She sighed, rolling her eyes at him and stopping to look at the necklaces, wondering if Hannah would like one from her.

"Oh, yeah. Well, its not for her. I just like the song," he shrugged, swinging the bag back and forth as he waited for her.

It was probably a good idea he didn't tell her that he was actually singing the song to her, not to Rachel.

"Well, maybe you should play it again sometime," Quinn suggested, picking up a golden love heart pendant and paying twenty dollars for it.

"Who would want to hear that?" Puck laughed, hooking his sunglasses over his t-shirt neck.

"I would," she replied before she could stop herself. "I mean, it would be nice to hear the song again," she added quickly, glancing at him with a frown when he looked like he was fixated on something else.

"Noah!" A blonde woman cried suddenly, running over to them and hugging Puck tight, kissing him right on the mouth, Quinn's eyebrows shooting up into her hairline.

"Dianna, I didn't expect to see you here," Puck greeted with a grin as she pulled away and beamed up at him.

"Yeah, I missed this place," Dianna smiled, gesturing at the market around her before her eyes landed on Quinn. "And who is this?" She asked sweetly. Too sweetly for Quinn's liking.

"I'm Quinn, his fiancé," Quinn introduced with a smile, taking his hand in hers. "And you are?" She inquired, arching her brow effortlessly.

"I'm Dianna, his ex girlfriend," Dianna smiled, a cold edge to her voice, her hand landing a touch flirtatiously on his chest.

"Q, this is Di. You'd like her, she was a cheerleader too in high school. She's a teacher now," Puck smiled, a slight touch of pride in his voice that caused Quinn's eyes to narrow. Did his voice hold that touch of pride when he talked about her? Probably not, because he never really loved her, anyway. Evidently he had loved this woman at least a little, if he was proud of her.

"What do you do?" Dianna asked innocently, her body pressed up against Puck's, her hand rubbing up and down his chest with a sly smile at Quinn.

"I'm a lawyer," Quinn managed to spit out, her hands finding their way to her hips as she straightened up, giving the blonde her HBIC glare.

"How sweet. Noah, it was lovely to see you again. Call me if you ever need anything," Dianna purred, kissing him again before tossing a glance at the cross hanging around Quinn's pale neck. "Anything at all."

Quinn scowled as the blonde left them, fighting the urge to rip her hair out. How dare she touch and kiss him in front of her. And why was she suddenly jealous and protective of him?

"Don't take any offense by her, she's like that all the time," Puck assured Quinn who was toying with her cross, her eyebrows knitted together in a frown as they walked slowly together.

"I wouldn't take offense from someone like that," she snapped, letting her cross fall back to her skin, glistening proudly above her breasts.

"Ok," he answered, wondering why she was suddenly angry with him. Its not like she cared what he did, anyway.

"How long did you date her for?" Quinn asked after a moment, tossing her apple away. She wasn't in the mood for food anymore, and the thought of it made her want to throw up. Or maybe that was the jealousy churning her stomach.

"Almost two years," he replied with a shrug. He was over it.

"Longer than you and I," she muttered, looking up at the patterned flags waving in the wind.

"You and I never really dated," he frowned, swinging his bag in his hand.

"No," she agreed. "Not really."

"You were always with someone else, and the timing was never right for us," he sighed, even though there had been many times they could've been together. He was just never good enough for her.

"Did you love her?" She asked, even though she didn't really want to know.

"Yes," he answered truthfully.

"You brought her here, too?" She asked, twisting the knife even deeper into her heart.

"For Christmas one year. She liked the lake," he smiled, ruffling the hair of a little boy that waved at him.

So do I, she wanted to add, but of course she didn't.

"I'm glad you have someone," she smiled falsely. She didn't have anyone.

"Had. We're not together anymore, or else I wouldn't have asked you to do this with me," he shrugged, scuffing his feet along the ground as they walked.

"Because you would have been engaged to her," she muttered, feeling like she was about to throw up if she knew anymore, but she couldn't seem to stop asking either.

"Yes," he agreed. "Most likely."

That was it. The last straw. The straw that broke the camels back. The tipping edge.

"Excuse me," she mumbled before running into a café, leaving him stood in the street with a confused frown.

* * *

><p>Quinn burst into the bathroom of the little cafe and bolted the door behind her, emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet as she fell to her knees, tears burning her eyes. She shouldn't have asked those questions, she didn't have to know, but a part of her needed to know. She should've known better, should've known this could never be anything real for them. This was all fake, a favour to him for his dying grams, and the sooner she realized that, the better. The touches, the secret smiles, the fact that he actually brought her out here, the way he held her last night when she was scared. They were all fake, fake little things to make it look like they were really together. If Puck and Dianna were still together, she wouldn't even be here. She was a last resort to him too, just like she was to everyone else. She really was all alone.<p>

"Quinn? Are you in there?" Puck called, knocking on the bathroom door. He was worried about her, worried about why she took off and was now hiding away in a bathroom.

"Go away," she yelled back, throwing up again and refusing to let her tears fall. She knew what this was when she agreed to do it, and now she had to remember to keep this strictly business. No more talk about Beth, no more comforting talks about their past. No. Just strictly business.

"Come on, babe. Let me in," he sighed, wiggling the door handle with a frown.

"I'm fine. Go look at the other stalls. I'll catch up to you," she replied, pushing herself up and flushing the toilet, turning to the mirror and staring at her reflection. Tears were swimming in her sad eyes, and she hated it. That wasn't Quinn Fabray, that was Lucy, that was her weaker self, and she would not become that again. Not ever. Quinn Fabray was strong, and cold, and she needed to be that.

"I'm not going until I know you're ok," he argued, leaning against the door and almost toppling over when she yanked the door open suddenly.

"I'm fine. Let's go," she told him, heading for the door, not stopping to see if he was following her.

Puck followed her with a frown, glancing up at her as they walked, seeing her eyes weren't soft and sparkling like they were this morning, but cold and hard like stones. Beautiful stones, but still stones. He sighed and looked away from her; he never really knew how to handle her when she put up her walls to keep everyone out.

Quinn kept her head up high as they walked together but apart, intent on keeping herself to herself now. She was here as a favour only.

"Do you want to see what's going on over there?" He asked gently, gesturing to the loud, cheering crowd up ahead, hoping to ease the unwelcome feeling she was aiming his way.

"Sure," she muttered, heading over to the crowd, hearing him following after her with a sigh.

In the midst of the crowd, there was a shirtless man juggling fire, Quinn and Puck pushing their way through until they were at the front of the crowd.

"Wow," Quinn breathed, her eyes lighting up causing him to smile, watching her reaction to the man instead of watching the fire, arching his brow at her hooded eyes.

Was she turned on from that?

"Its hot, right?" A woman to the side of Quinn asked, snapping pictures with her iPhone.

"It's so sexy," Quinn agreed, her voice a touch breathless as she watched in awe, noting Puck scowl when he heard her comment.

"Its just fire," he grumbled, crossing his arms tight across his chest.

Quinn didn't answer, instead focusing on the flaming pieces of wood the shirtless man was juggling.

Puck scowled again at her and sighed, staring at his feet. Trust Quinn to find a fire juggling man sexy, when she had been sharing a bedroom with him all week and had seen him half naked yet wasn't affected at all by him. He didn't see the big deal. Why was being an idiot such a big turn on for her? Then again, she had dated Sam after all, and he wasn't the sharpest knife in the barn.

He was so caught up in his inner complaining that Quinn's screams didn't register with him until it was too late.

The fire came flying at him, whisking him back to his days in the air force, to the image of his plane exploding, of the fire rushing to meet him and swallow him whole.

"Puck!" Quinn screamed, throwing herself at him to knock him to the ground, the flaming piece of wood landing in the middle of the street where someone hurriedly poured water on it to put it out.

Puck stared blankly up above him, not seeing Quinn's tears or feeling her clutching at his chest or hear her yelling at him and crying. All he saw was fire.

Fire everywhere.

* * *

><p>"He's resting. I say we give him a while," Ruth sighed, coming down the stairs and padding into the kitchen, sitting at the breakfast bar.<p>

"A time out will do him good," Maggie agreed, tossing a concerned glance over at Quinn who was sat frozen on a stool, staring out at the lake, her eyes not really seeing it at all.

"Quinn, what happened?" Ruth asked, touching her shoulder gently, feeling her startle and look up at her.

"I don't know. We were watching a street performer, but his thoughts were somewhere else. The man was juggling the burning wood, and he tripped, sending one of the beams flying our way. Everyone got out of the way but he didn't. He was frozen, like he didn't know what was happening so I got him down on the ground. He wouldn't talk to me, not then or on the drive home. I don't understand what happened," Quinn told her tearfully, swiping at her cheeks. That fire could easily have hurt them, hurt him.

"The fire probably reminded him of what happened in Iraq, right mom?" Hannah asked, quiet for once as she sat at the table, staring down at her hands.

"What happened in Iraq?" Quinn asked, frowning in confusion.

"With the air force," Maggie sighed, cutting up apples for the apple pie she was making.

"What about the air force?" She asked, growing increasingly confused by the second.

"He didn't tell you about the plane?" Ruth asked in surprise, her eyes growing wide as the blonde shook her head.

"No. He told me he had a small incident and took the discharge. Said the air force wasn't for him anymore," Quinn frowned, getting the feeling she didn't even know half of the story.

"Noah was deployed to Iraq about three years ago. Everything was fine for the first month or two, but things got dangerous after a while. There were terrorists involved and it turned out that somehow, bombs had been planted in a few of the fighter jet planes. Noah didn't know, he was up in the air with his teammate, Steven. They were trying to rescue some children from a Taliban taken school bus. There was a bomb in their plane and it blew up. The bomb was faulty or something, so it didn't quite do the damage it was meant to but it was enough to get their plane crashing into a field," Maggie explained with a sigh, closing her eyes as she remembered the phone call they got at two in the morning.

"Noah was in a coma for weeks. It was horrible. He wasn't the same for months after that. Fire has always been a fear to him ever since," Ruth sighed, pouring herself a glass of water.

"Steven died in the crash. Paul said that Noah was asking for you before he went into his coma," Hannah sighed, her cheek resting on the table.

Quinn swallowed hard as she let their words sink in. Puck had very nearly died, and she didn't even know. No one from the glee club had called her to tell her. She should've been told, she would've gone to the hospital, would've sat by his side and prayed for him. Wasn't she important enough to be told? Or did they really hate her that much that they didn't care to let her know the father of her child was on his deathbed?

"Don't blame yourself for not knowing. He doesn't like to talk about it," Maggie smiled sadly, squeezing her shoulder gently to comfort the blonde.

"If I'd have known, I would've been there. I would've flown out to see him," she whispered, because it was true. They might not have been close, and their relationship was strained at times, but she cared about him, and she would've been there.

"We know, sweetheart," Ruth sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Can I go and see him now?" Quinn asked, looking up at her.

"Go ahead," Maggie nodded, calling Hannah over to help make the pie.

"Hannah?" Quinn asked, the younger Puckerman looking up at her sadly. "He'll be fine, I promise," she told her, hugging her before heading upstairs to check on Puck.

* * *

><p>There was fire.<p>

Fire everywhere.

Fire licking at his flesh greedily, trying to swallow him whole.

Puck cried out and shot up in bed, clutching his chest and panting for air. It wasn't real. It wasn't real.

"Its ok, its not real," Quinn murmured softly from where she was knelt beside him, a damp cloth in her hand that she had been stroking his sweaty forehead with until he shot up.

"You know," he muttered, seeing it in her eyes that she knew, turning his head away. He didn't want to see her pity when she looked at him.

"You lied to me," she sighed, stroking his face with the cloth, hoping to bring him at least a little comfort.

"I was a coward," he mumbled, gently pushing her hand away from his face and sitting up. "I couldn't save Steven. I tried, but I couldn't. I was a coward."

"No, you're a hero," she whispered, studying him for a second before leaning in and wrapping her arms tight around his neck, hugging him close to her.

Puck sighed and relaxed into her hold, hugging her back and letting her comfort him in the way only her touched seemed to be able to do, tucking his face into her neck.

She stroked through his hair as she held him in a tight hug, their first real hug since they had started this, and there was no one who deserved her hug more. He deserved more than a hug, but she couldn't give it to him. Not now, not yet, maybe not ever. But she could give him comfort, so that's what she did, Hannah's words ringing in her ears.

He asked for you before he went into his coma.

Quinn sighed and held him tighter, feeling guilty that she hasn't been there for him in his time of need, even though he had always been there during hers. But she was here now, and she would do her best to make him feel better.

"If I'd have known, I would've been there," she whispered, stroking her fingers through his hair.

"You wouldn't," he mumbled against her throat, breathing in her sweet perfume.

"Yes, I would have," she told him, and this time he didn't argue with her.

* * *

><p>"I brought you pizza," Quinn smiled, carrying a pizza box over to the bed. "Its kosher, don't worry. I didn't order bacon," she teased, climbing onto the bed and opening the box, grabbing a slice.<p>

"Like my mom would've let you," Puck snorted, taking a slice and chewing on it.

"Honestly, I don't think she really cares tonight. We're worried about you," she sighed, biting a piece off her pizza, chewing it slowly.

"I'm not an invalid," he scowled, hating the pity in her voice. He didn't need or want her pity.

"I never said that," she whispered, frowning slightly as she felt him withdrawing from her.

"You don't need to. I can see it in your eyes," he shrugged, pushing the box away from him and lying back down with a sigh, closing his eyes.

Quinn stared at him for a moment before setting the box down on the nightstand and crawling up the bed to him, lying down beside him, pressing close to him.

"Don't shut me out. Please," she whispered, cupping his cheek tearfully. "Don't leave me out here alone."

Puck opened his eyes to see a tear slip down her cheek, reaching out to wipe it away, his forehead leaning against hers.

"I won't say goodbye to you. Not like that," he promised, closing his eyes again, his arm coming around her waist to hold her to him.

"I'll never say goodbye to you, either," she breathed, their legs tangled beneath the sheets, their faces close, taking comfort and giving strength to each other as much as they could.

They were safe in that bed together, nothing could touch them and suddenly, they found themselves unable to let go.

_I don't wanna hear the sound,_  
><em> Of losing what I've never found...<em>

* * *

><p><strong><em>I'd had a lot of requests for a jealous Quinn, so I hope this was to your satisfaction. Feel free to leave suggestions in the reviews, on twitter ( taylorssalgron) or on ask fm ( taylorssalgron) :) Please review, and have a great day guys!_**


	5. All that you rely on

_**So I think I've got about two more chapters up my sleeve- including this one- this week before I leave for ncs in Scotland next week. I'm hoping that after this, the next chapter should be up around late Saturday, early Sunday. Hoping to find some swifties and/or quick shippers up there in Scotland at the challenge!;) After the challenge, updates should be pretty frequent, as I have a clear idea as to where this story is going in the next few chapters. I hope you stick with me.**_

_**Thank you to AgronSalling, ZanaBananaa, guest, guest, guest, Chloe, k4yz, and of course to readbetweenthesigns for your reviews.**_

_**As always, thank you for the kind comments and tweets on twitter, the suggestions and praise left on ask fm and also your reviews. I hope you enjoy :)**_

* * *

><p><em> Did some things you can't speak of, but at night you live it all again.<em>

_ You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now, if only you had seen what you know now, then.._

"Hey," Quinn smiled as Puck opened his eyes, her eyes searching his face for any sign of trauma or discomfort, both from the events the day before and from the fact he had just woken up in the same bed as her.

"Morning," he mumbled, his voice thick and husky with sleep.

"How did you sleep?" Quinn asked, led so close to him that he could taste her breath on his lips.

How was it she seemed to escape from morning breath? Was she not human? Her breath smelt sweet, just like the rest of her body that was tucked up tight to his chest.

"Great," he muttered, rolling onto his back and rubbing his eyes to avoid Quinn's eyes. She always knew when he was lying to her.

Quinn shot him a pointed look but said nothing, instead getting out of the bed and pulling her shirt off, letting it fall to the floor as she rifled through her drawers for something to wear. She knew he was lying to her; she had been woken up several times by him tossing and turning, his mumbled pleas for help enough to send her into the bathroom at one point. She wanted to help him, but the only thing she could think of to do was to wrap her arms around him tight until he calmed down.

Puck was the bravest man she knew- he had to be, seeing what he saw in the air force- and the fact that he was afraid now unnerved her. She wished she knew how to make it better for him.

"Its Hannah's birthday party today, right?" she asked, finding a pink dotted dress with a sigh.

"Yeah, there'll be a lot of family and a lot of the kids from the neighbourhood," Puck nodded, his eyes not leaving her breasts. He wondered when it was that she had become ok with letting him see her in her bra.

"Wow," she breathed, dropping her shorts and slipping her dress on quickly before wiggling out of her underwear, Puck watching them hit the floor.

"Good thing the house is big, I guess," he shrugged, sitting up as he felt the familiar tingle down below, his boxers tightening in response to the knowledge that Quinn's lower body was naked for the time being under that dress.

"Hurry up and get out of bed," she ordered, grabbing her curling wand and wrapping a strand of blonde hair around it with a sigh.

Puck arched his brow at her and shrugged, climbing out of the bed and heading straight for his drawers, feeling her eyes on his ass the entire way, catching her squirm out of the corner of his eye.

So, he wasn't the only one affected by being in close regions to her half naked.

"Like what you see, Fabray?" he asked with a smirk, grabbing a pair of jeans and grabbing a shirt from the wardrobe.

His mom would kill him if he went downstairs in a normal old t-shirt on his sister's birthday.

"You wish," she snorted, curling her hair absently and squeezing her thighs tight together, trying not to look back at his ass again.

"Well, don't forget baby, I'm all yours," he teased, heading into the bathroom and leaving Quinn to scowl as she curled her hair.

Trust him to get one up on her already. She hated how he did that. How dare he walk around in his boxers around her, showing off his muscled arms and that finely chiselled six pack of his. She longed to taste that tanned, taut skin, to run her tongue along it, following a path down to...

"Ow!" Quinn cried as she burnt her neck with the wand, throwing it away from her with a loud curse, running into the bathroom. "Fuck," she muttered, grabbing a damp cloth and holding it to her burnt skin.

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Puck teased from in the shower, peering around the curtain to see her.

"Fuck you," she snapped, lifting her hair to examine her neck.

The burn wasn't that bad, except for the fact that it looked like she was now proudly sporting a hickey. Damn him and his distracting body.

"Whenever you're ready, let me know," he laughed, returning back to his shower, laughing louder as she stormed out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

She was too much fun to annoy, and it was so easy to do so, but hey, she had made the request.

And if she ever wanted him to do so, he would gladly get into those lacy panties of hers.

* * *

><p>"Did you put your panties back on?" Puck asked, pressing up into her as he grabbed a glass from the cupboard above her.<p>

"Why don't you find out," she replied, but her tone implied that if he even attempted to do so, she would remove him from his balls.

"Tease," he muttered, turning as his sister came bounding into the kitchen.

"How do I look?" Hannah asked, holding her arms out for Quinn's inspection of her outfit.

"Like the prettiest newly fourteen year old I've ever seen," Quinn replied with a smile, drying off her hands.

"You mean that?" she asked, arching her brow at Quinn who nodded.

"Oh, definitely! I think you're going to put me to shame tonight," Quinn grinned, happy to see the pendant she had bought for Hannah was hanging proudly around her neck.

"Thanks, Quinn," Hannah beamed, hugging her tight. "But everyone knows you're the prettiest woman ever."

"Kid's not wrong," Puck agreed, pinning up streamers above the patio door.

"I'm not a kid. I'm fourteen now," Hannah scowled before leaving the room, pausing at the door to add "Quinn is way out of your league," before scampering off upstairs.

"Kid's not wrong," Quinn laughed, handing him the cello tape.

"I call you pretty and you reply with that? Harsh, woman. I'm hurt," he pouted, holding his hand to his chest.

"Please, we all know your ego could survive a major earthquake. I'm sure you're fine, big guy," she teased, rolling her eyes at him and heading for the door.

"Did you mean that? You think I'm pretty?" she asked, pausing at the door and looking over her shoulder at him as he climbed down the ladder.

"No," he replied, watching her smile drop of her face. "I think you're beautiful."

Quinn smiled at that, a light blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Thanks," she smiled, biting her lip when he looked at her. "You're pretty handsome yourself," she added before heading outside to help hang the white balloons.

Puck watched her leave with a small smiled before picking up a stack of streamers and heading through to the living room.

Maybe they were friends after all.

* * *

><p>Puck had Quinn on his mind for the rest of the morning, thinking about how she stayed with him all night last night to make sure he was ok, how he had woke several times to find himself wrapped up tight in her arms as she shushed him, trying to soothe him. She had tried to help him out, so it was his turn now to help her. She thought she was all alone and without friends? He was going to prove her wrong.<p>

He managed to sneak upstairs after lunch, telling Quinn he was going to tidy up their bedroom, waiting until she had left with his mom to pick up party food from the store before grabbing his phone and dialling Rachel Berry's number.

"Hello?" Rachel asked, answering on the first ring.

He figured since Finn's death, she had been kind of lonely.

"Hey, Berry, its Puck. Listen, I want to invite you to a party tonight," Puck smiled, sitting down on the bed.

Rachel was lonely. Quinn was lonely. Bam. Solution.

"I don't think so, Noah. I know what happens at the kind of parties you attend and after Finn, I don't want to be around drugs or alcohol. Thanks, but no thanks," Rachel sighed, her voice sad and quiet.

"No, no, its not like that. Its my sister's birthday, and she liked you at temple and stuff so I figured maybe you could drop by. Plus, I think Quinn would be pretty happy to see you, too. She seems a little lonely lately," Puck sighed, stretching his legs out.

"Quinn is there?" she asked in surprise. She didn't know the two were back together.

"Yeah, we're visiting my grams in Wisconsin," he shrugged. "So, wanna come?" he asked with a grin. He knew she would.

"I guess I could catch the train," she sighed, but he could hear the smile in her voice.

"Great, see you then," he smiled before hanging up.

"That was a nice thing, Noah," Maggie smiled from the doorway, balloons in her arms.

"What was?" he asked, getting up to take them from her.

"Calling Rachel like that and inviting her. I know it will mean a lot to Quinn to see she does have a friend after all, and it will be good for Rachel to stop hiding herself away from the world," Maggie told him, letting him take the balloons.

"How did you know about Quinn?" he asked, a touch of panic to his voice. If she knew about Quinn's loneliness, what else did she know?

"We talk, Noah. I know about New York, and her ex boyfriend. I see the loneliness in her eyes that's there when you're not around her. You're good for her," Maggie smiled, patting his arm.

"What else has she talked to you about?" he frowned, hoping she hadn't confessed the truth to his grams.

"You have your secrets, your fears. Let her have hers. She is happy here though, Noah. _You _make her happy. I see it in her smile," she murmured, kissing his cheek before leaving the room.

* * *

><p>"We have cocktail sausages, cheese sticks, cakes, lemonade and chips in the living room. The cake is in the kitchen and the bbq is outside, right?" Quinn asked, reading from her clipboard, Puck nodding his head as he tied balloons around the tree branches.<p>

"You're really into this, aren't you?" Puck asked, looking over at her as she checked yet again that there were enough plastic cups on the tables.

"What do you mean?" she asked with a frown, chewing on her lip.

"I mean, you must have had such fancy parties when you were a little kid. This must seem pretty cheap compared to that. I'm just surprised you seem to like doing this so much," he shrugged, frowning at the unreadable look on her face, watching her eyes cloud over for a moment before she opened her mouth to answer.

Whatever it was she had been about to say was cut off as teenage girls came running out of the house, their high pitched laughter, distracting the pair from the conversation they had been having.

"Wow, this looks great," one girl's mother smiled, coming over with Ruth to join Quinn and Puck.

"We tried," Puck laughed, his arm slipping around Quinn's waist, the blonde cuddling into his chest.

"This is my son, Noah, and his fiancé, Quinn," Ruth introduced, a touch of pride in her voice that caused Quinn to genuinely smile.

"What a beautiful couple," the woman smiled, shaking both their hands. "Your babies will be perfect, I'm sure of it."

"Thank you," Quinn smiled, as it seemed Puck was stuck for words. "Baby, I'm going to check on the cake. I'll be right back," she told him, stretching up to peck his lips quickly before heading into the house. It would be harder to keep up the pretence tonight around all these people. Puck's family knew she wasn't so big on the PDA, but these people would be expecting constant touching and kissing, and she was already starting to feel the pressure from it.

The doorbell rang and she sighed loudly, heading to answer it, expecting another young girl for Hannah, shocked at who it was that stood on the doorstep.

"Rachel?" she asked in surprise, staring at the brunette who smiled warmly at her.

"Quinn, its great to see you again. Puck invited me, so I brought Kurt as my plus one," Rachel grinned, gesturing to Kurt who was coming up the path with a pink gift box.

"Quinn Fabray, as I live and breathe! Look at you! Even more beautiful than the last time I saw you, and that hickey you're sporting tells me that a Mr Puckerman certainly thinks so too," Kurt grinned, winking at her as she led them into the house.

"I burnt myself with the curling iron," she laughed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes as they snorted in response.

"Look at this!" Kurt cried, spotting the ring on her finger, grabbing her hand and holding it up. "Puck bought you this?!"

"That's right, Hummel. I managed to buy something without your assistance," Puck smirked, joining them and wrapping her arms around Quinn's waist, kissing her cheek as a girl's mother passed them by.

"Although I am offended by the fact you did not call to ask for my opinion, I must say it is a beautiful ring. A little small for my liking, but fabulous none the less," Kurt praised, setting the gift box down.

"I love it," Rachel smiled, squeezing Quinn's hand. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Quinn mouthed, unable to form words. She didn't think of how this would affect Rachel who had been engaged to Finn. She felt awful to remind her of that, especially as this wasn't even real.

"Noah! Come help with the bbq!" Hannah cried, rushing over to join them, grasping his hand in hers and tugging.

"Oooh, I'm joining you. I can't wait to see the rest of these decorations," Kurt smiled, heading off with them, leaving Quinn and Rachel alone.

"How are you?" Quinn asked, Rachel walking with her through the house.

"I'm better. Its been seven years, since he died. I think I'm finally starting to move on," Rachel nodded, a small smile on her face as they stepped outside.

"I'm glad. He would want you to enjoy your life," Quinn smiled, twisting her ring around her finger. She wondered what Finn would think of this. Same old selfish Quinn, probably. "How is broadway?"

"Broadway is great. I've met up with Shelby a few times, she comes to all of my shows if there are tickets left," Rachel smiled, happy to have a bond with her birth mother now.

"What about- have you seen my- have you," Quinn took a deep breath, blurting out the rest, "have you seen my baby?"

"Yes, I see Beth quite a lot. She really does look like you," Rachel laughed, finding a picture on her phone and handing it to the blonde who stared at it for a long moment before looking away, but not fast enough for her to not see the tears in her eyes.

"She knows she's adopted. Shelby told her last year. She took it quite well, and I've told her a little bit about you and Noah. I don't want to scare her, but she likes to ask about you," Rachel confessed, leading Quinn to sit down on a bench, handing her a tissue.

"She knows?" Quinn asked through her tears, the tissue doing next to nothing to stop the hot flow streaming down her cheeks. Her little girl knew she was adopted, she knew about her, asked about her.

"Yes. She asked to see a picture of you the last time I saw her, but I didn't have a recent one so I didn't show her. I didn't know if you would be ok with that, either. You know, she could use it to find you in the future like I did with Shelby," she sighed, squeezing Quinn's knee, feeling awful for her. It hurt losing her lover, so she had no idea how much Quinn must be hurting over losing her baby.

"I would be fine with that. I want her to know me, to know Puck and I. We're her parents, no matter what Shelby says," Quinn sniffed, catching Puck's concerned look and nodding to tell him she was ok. "She's still our daughter."

"I know, and Shelby knows too," Rachel murmured gently, patting her knee.

"How is she? Beth. Is she safe? Is she healthy? Is she loved?" Quinn asked desperately, biting hard on her lip.

"Yes. She's a wonderful child," Rachel assured her.

"The next time you see her, can you tell her that I love her? That she is my perfect thing, and one day I'm gonna come back to her and be the mother she deserves. I just, I need her to know how much I love her. Everybody thinks that I never loved her but that's not true. I love her so much. I've loved her since the day I found out I was carrying her. Just tell her she's loved, ok?" Quinn asked, her voice muffled with tears.

"We all know that you love your daughter, Quinn. Beth knows too. She was a little confused at first, and she had a lot of questions, but she's ok with it now," Rachel smiled, watching Hannah and her friends dancing to the music that was playing loudly.

"I'm glad she's healthy, and safe. All I wanted was for her to have a good life. If she has that, it makes all of this pain worth it," Quinn nodded, looking at the picture of her beautiful baby girl again. "Could you send this to me? I'd really like to have this," she whispered tearfully. She had to show Puck, he had to see their baby too.

"Sure. So tell me about your life. Where do you live? What do you do? How did you and Puck get back together?" Rachel asked happily, leaning over to grab a cup of lemonade from a table.

"I'm afraid my life isn't as exciting as yours. I graduated from Yale at the top of my class, and I worked hard to become a lawyer. Some say I'm one of the best lawyers in New York, but that's just flattery I'm sure. It's hard, and it takes its toll on me sometimes, but I'm proud of it. I did it by myself, and that's something I'm proud of," Quinn smiled, waving back at Hannah who waved happily at her.

"New York?" Rachel asked, a touch of confusion lacing her words.

"Yes, it's easier to get a job in a big place like New York than it is in New Haven. I've lived in New York for about five years now," Quinn explained, twisting her ring around her finger absently.

"Did you ever come to see one of my shows?" Rachel asked hopefully, smiling when she nodded.

"Opening night of Wicked," Quinn laughed, shaking her head. "That was on a date, a truly awful date but it was an amazing show. You were wonderful."

"Was it with Noah?" Rachel chuckled, looking to the man who was helping his sister beat up the piñata.

"God, no. It was with one of the lawyers from work, we were working on the same case so when he asked me out, I went for it. In the first ten minutes he had felt my thighs, squeezed my breast 'accidentally' and asked if I preferred to be whipped or blindfolded during sex," Quinn sighed, rolling her eyes with a laugh.

"No way!" Rachel cried, clutching her stomach. "That's awful!"

"I know. How do you accidentally squeeze a person's breast when going to the bathroom?" She asked, shaking her head.

"I bet Noah has had his fair share of squeezes," Rachel teased, elbowing her with a wink. "You haven't told me how you got back together, yet," she reminded her.

"That was in New York also. I was arguing with an ex when Puck showed up, broke his nose and asked me to dinner," Quinn lied, taking up Puck's story from the first night.

"Sounds like Noah," Rachel smiled, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

"He's a good man. He's sweet, and he has been helping me with a lot with personal things. He's changed a lot," Quinn told her with a soft smile, watching Puck tease his sister.

"He makes you happy," Rachel noted happily.

"Yes," she agreed. "He does."

* * *

><p>"Who knew you knew how to cook," Kurt teased, joining Puck at the barbecue.<p>

"They're burgers, Hummel. Its not brain surgery," Puck sighed, rolling his eyes with a grin as he flipped the burgers

"Quinn won't eat them, you know that, right?" Rachel asked, collecting her burger after checking with Ruth that they were kosher.

"I can guarantee that she will," Puck replied, fixing up a burger for him and Quinn.

"I can't wait to see this," Kurt muttered to Rachel as they followed him to the table Quinn had occupied with an older looking woman beside her.

"Your burger, m'lady," Puck winked, setting Quinn's paper plate down in front of her, leaning down to kiss her before sitting next to her.

"Thank you, baby," she smiled, stroking his cheek before turning to the woman beside her. "This is my fiancé," she smiled before tucking into her burger, Rachel and Kurt watching in shock.

"Ah, its nice to see you again, Noah," the woman grinned, extending her hand to him.

"You too, Mrs Chesterfield," he nodded, shaking her hand before reaching for the ketchup.

"I want to dance," Quinn announced suddenly. "Will you dance with me?" she asked Puck who raised his eyebrows at her, shrugging before letting her pull him up, their food forgotten for now.

"Where did this sudden desire to dance come from?" he asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck, his hands on her hips.

"Who wouldn't want to dance with their fiancé?" she asked in response, watching Dianna over his shoulder, wondering who had invited her here.

Puck shrugged in response, holding her close as she rested her head on his chest, swaying to the music as opposed to Hannah and her friends who were dancing like drunken fools. It felt so right to have her in his arms like this, to feel the weight of her head on his chest and to feel her breath warming his shirt. He had wanted to dance with her like this at prom, but of course he was never good enough to be her date, so he never got to.

"This is nice," he muttered, breathing in the smell of his shampoo from her hair, smiling at the thought that she was using his shampoo in the shower.

"It is," she agreed, keeping an eye on Dianna, tightening her hold on him a touch, feeling jealousy course through her veins quickly.

Stop. You have no reason to be jealous. Its over and this is fake. He isn't hers and he isn't yours.

"What were you and Berry talking about?" he asked, feeling the softness of her skin through her dress.

"A lot of things. It was nice to talk to an old friend, if that's what we are. I never really thought of Rachel as a friend until now," she smiled, stroking his hair at the nape of his neck absently.

"We could talk, you know. We're friends, right?" he murmured, lifting her arm above her head and spinning her before pulling her close again, her giggles music to his ears.

"Yes," she agreed. "We're friends."

Puck nodded and grinned down at her as they danced, Quinn laughing when he pulled his face at her and pulling one back at him. It felt good to laugh again, to laugh with him, with someone who had never once judged her for anything. His hands felt so right on her body, and their bodies fit perfectly together somehow. It was like they were meant for each other.

Only they weren't. And they both knew that deep down. They could play pretend, but it would never be real. Not for them.

She lifted her eyes from his chest to see Dianna making her way towards them, scowling before cupping Puck's face and kissing him hard, pressing her body tighter to his as his arms tightened around her waist.

"And that, children, is how babies are made!" Kurt yelled, laughing wildly whilst Rachel filmed them on her phone, a grin on her face as they watched the couple kissing passionately in each other's arms. They were perfect. Absolutely perfect.

"Gross, Quinn!" Hannah whined, the blonde pulling away from Puck to spit her tongue out at her with a laugh.

She looked over to where Dianna was still stood and smiled triumphantly at her before pressing her lips back to Puck's, stroking her tongue along his lip with a soft moan, his hands gripping her hips tighter.

Puck was hers, at least partly, and the sooner that blonde bitch figured that out, the better.

* * *

><p>"A PlayStation?! Noah, you're the best!" Hannah yelled happily, pushing the box aside to hug her brother tight.<p>

"You told me you were bad at gifts," Quinn sighed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes at him.

The party had ended an hour ago, and now the Puckerman family, Quinn, Rachel and Kurt were sat watching Hannah open her gifts.

"I'm the Puckasaurous, baby. I'm awesome at gifts," Puck smirked, his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm expecting something amazing for my birthday too, now," she warned, Maggie grinning and winking at her.

"Don't worry, I'll help," Kurt told Puck in a loud whisper, Rachel slapping his arm and rolling her eyes.

"He doesn't need help. He knows what Quinn likes, right?" Hannah asked, looking up from the perfume she just opened.

"Oh, he knows exactly what Quinn likes," Rachel told them, sending them all into fits of laughter.

"Rachel!" Quinn gasped, shaking her head at her and hiding her face in Puck's chest.

The thing was, Puck really did know exactly what she liked.

"Thank you for the presents," Hannah smiled at them all, her PlayStation box in her lap.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Maggie smiled, ruffling her hair with a grin.

"Birthdays used to be so amazing. I got a puppy when I was fourteen," Rachel sighed, remembering with a smile. "Her name was Barbara."

"I got a brand new bedroom, complete with designer drapes," Kurt breathed happily, Rachel nodding her consent.

"I got a bike," Puck shrugged, ignoring Kurt's eye roll.

"What did you get, Quinn?" Hannah asked, looking up at her with a happy smile, Quinn shifting uncomfortably.

"A car or something like that, knowing her family," Puck teased, stroking her hair absently.

"Yes," she muttered. "Something like that."

"I'm hungry, who wants cake?" Rachel asked, noting the look on Quinn's face and knowing something was up with her.

"Me!" Hannah yelled, leaping up and following Rachel to the kitchen.

"I'm going to get a head start on clearing up the rubbish," Quinn sighed, getting up and stretching before grabbing a trash bag and heading outside. It was dark outside, and the air was crisp and cool against her skin, something she treasured with a sigh.

"What happened there?" Kurt asked with a frown, watching Quinn out of the window.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out," Puck mumbled, making a mental note to ask her about it tonight in bed. Lately, it seemed he was learning more about her at night, like she let her walls come down in their bed and would open up to him more. He would get to the bottom of this.

* * *

><p>"Quinn, are you ok?" Kurt asked, coming up behind the blonde. "You look a little upset."<p>

"I'm fine, Kurt. I just hate leaving rubbish lying around like this," she sighed, picking up a stack of paper plates and tossing them into the trash bag.

"Really? Because right now, your face looks like someone killed your puppy in front of you. Was it Rachel? Did she steal Barbara from you?" Kurt asked dramatically, grinning when she cracked a smile in response.

"No, Rachel didn't steal my dog," she laughed, scraping paper plates into the trash bag.

"So what is it then?" Kurt demanded, hand on his hips. "Spill, Fabray."

"You got a new bedroom for your fourteenth birthday, right? I bet you had a party with friends and your dad who is so proud of you. You had a cake, and candles, and gifts, and someone to sing happy birthday to you, right?" She asked, picking up empty wrappers with a sigh as he nodded.

"Well, yeah, I mean every kid has that, right?" He frowned, tugging her to sit down next to him on a bench.

"I didn't," she muttered, tying the trash bag and setting it aside, staring up at the stars. Oh, how she longed to be a star. Everybody loved stars, yet no one could ever get close enough to touch them.

"Well, I'd have thought not. I bet you had a huge party at the country club with chocolate fountains and structured dances," he teased, nudging her with a grin.

"Try fat camp," she corrected, her voice cold and harsh. "That's where I spent my birthday, at a 'summer camp for overweight children'. They might as well have slapped a sticker labelling us all fat on our foreheads."

Kurt was silent for a moment before laughing awkwardly, shaking his head. "That's a good one, Q," he laughed. There was hardly a pinch of fat present on that woman's body. She was so skinny.

"You think I'm joking?" She asked, looking to him with teary eyes. "I know you saw those poster Lauren made in junior year, everyone did. You know what I used to look like. How do you think I lost so much weight?" She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"That was your birthday present? Fat camp?" He asked in horror, staring at her, not quite believing her. Yes, he had seen the posters, but a part of him always thought they were photoshopped.

"My mother thought she was helping me. When my birthday came, I was a size six, and I couldn't wait to show my mom when she came to see me. Only problem was, she never came. No one did. I didn't have a birthday party after the age of seven, and the next time I had one was when I turned sixteen. No one throws a party for their fat, ugly, embarrassment of a daughter," she told him, her voice holding no emotion whatsoever.

"Quinn...that's awful," Kurt breathed, taking her hand in his. He had always thought Quinn was a privileged child who got pregnant and had a few rough months. It had never crossed his mind that she was as much on the outside as the rest of the group, maybe even more. Everyone had their families, no matter what. Everyone but her.

"It's ok, Kurt. I'm over it now, I know there are more important things in life than how much you weigh. Beth taught me that. It's just today, all this, I wish I had a family like this to love me, no matter what," she shrugged, jumping slightly at the hand on her back.

"You do, Quinn. Puck and his family love you so much. You don't have to be alone anymore," Rachel smiled, sitting next to her and squeezing her hand.

"There's just one problem with that. Puck and I aren't really together. We made this whole thing up so his grams can die peacefully. None of this is real," Quinn confessed, wiggling her ring finger.

"Sweetie, we know. Puck told us when you were dancing with Hannah," Kurt smiled, patting her knee.

"But the part where you said it's not real, that's where you're wrong. You two love each other, in your own special way," Rachel breathed, squeezing her hand.

"And you won't get to be alone again, Quinn. Puck loves you too much to let you be alone. He won't admit to it, just as you won't, but you do love each other. You always have," Kurt shrugged, looking out at the water.

"I don't love him," Quinn argued. "Not anymore."

"Your eyes tell a different story," the two replied at the same time.

* * *

><p>"How was your bath?" Quinn asked, looking up from her laptop as the door opened. She decided not to mention the fact that she heard him jerking off in the bath, or that it had turned her on.<p>

"Warm," Puck shrugged with a smirk, the same half smirk he always wore. She loved that little smirk.

"I'm glad," she smiled, scrolling down the page.

"Please tell me you're not actually working right now?" He asked, arching his brow at her concentration caused frown.

"No, no. I'm just checking my emails. Look at what Rachel just sent through for us," Quinn breathed, her eyes damp as she turned the laptop to him.

Puck's eyes grew wide at the pictures of their little girl on the screen, tears filling them as he flicked through them on the screen. Beth looked so much bigger in these pictures than she had in the one he had taken with him to Quinn's house. She was so beautiful. Blonde with hazel eyes like her mom, yet she truly did have his smile.

"She looks like you," he murmured, stroking his thumb over the screen.

"She looks like both of us. A perfect mix of us both," she whispered tearfully, sniffling and leaning into him for support.

"I meant what I said that night in senior year. You don't need anyone to make you special," he told her, pressing a light kiss to her hair before getting up from the bed.

"Don't," she pleaded. "Don't sleep down there anymore. Lie with me. Hold me."

"I don't think we'll ever end up using that thing at this point," he teased, gesturing at the air mattress before climbing into the bed with her. "I want to lie with you, to hold you."

"Good. Don't let go," she whispered as he turned the lamps off, her laptop sat forgotten at the end of the bed.

"Not until you ask me to," he promised, holding her close, his front tucked up to her back.

"And what if I never ask you to let me go?" She asked, her eyes closed. "What then?"

"Then I won't let go," he murmured simply, reaching down to pull the covers up over them.

"You know, don't you? Kurt told you," she accused, her voice small and soft.

"Yes," he nodded. "He told me."

"Then you should know that I lied to you," she whispered. "I didn't get a car for my birthday. When I got home from fat camp, my daddy broke my nose."

Puck was silent for a long moment, his arms tightening around her as he clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to go all the way to Lima and murder Russell.

"Say something," she breathed. "Please."

"I'll never let them hurt you again," he vowed.

_ It's alright, just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me, oh,_

_ Who you are is not where you've been. You're still an innocent._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thank you for reading, please review, they really do make me happy :) have an amazing day. Or evening if you're in the UK too ;)<strong>_

_**Song lyrics used: Taylor Swift- Innocent **_


	6. And all that you can fake

_**So this will be the last update until next Saturday when I get back from NCS. Updates should be pretty frequent after that, so bare with me ;) Thank you for the reviews, especially to diannaxagron. Your review was the sweetest thing, and it made me so happy.**_

_**Also, this morning I looked at my instagram to find that not only had Mark Salling read my message in which I basically rambled on and on about how much I love him and Dianna and Quick, but he followed me on instagram too! So now Mark knows who I am, and I cried in Asda like a baby.**_

_**Enjoy, and feel free to review ;)**_

* * *

><p><em>I am not a fugitive, I just wanted to be free,<em>

_ From the secrets and the ghosts, that have been chasing after me..._

Puck sighed as Quinn whimpered and tossed about in her sleep again, barely managing to dodge her fist before it collided with his face. She had been doing it all night, tossing and turning, hitting and kicking out at him whenever he tried to stop her and calm her down. He figured she was too deep in her mind to hear him, obviously plagued by whatever it was that was giving her these nightmares. It was her dad, he knew it was. Her dad that had been supposed to love and protect her from the evil in the world, not be the one to subject his little girl to more evil and physically abuse her. He longed to hunt Russell down and make him pay. Make him pay for breaking her nose, and for kicking her out, and for everything else he had done to her that Quinn wouldn't talk about just yet.

"Let me go," Quinn whimpered, kicking out at him again, twisting her body in the sheets. "I'm sorry."

"Shhh, Quinn, stop it," Puck murmured, trying to get his arms back around her to calm her down. "It's ok."

Quinn hit out at him again, her fist colliding with his chest and knocking the breath out of him for a moment before he took a deep breath and tugged her onto her back, sitting on her thighs so she couldn't kick him again and shaking her shoulder gently, trying to wake her up. It was better for her to be tired and grumpy than for her to hurt herself.

"Come on, Q. Rise and shine," he murmured into her ear, tickling her ribs. She hated being tickled, so he knew that would wake her up faster than anything. Well, faster than nearly everything. He didn't think she would appreciate waking up to sex at this point. She used to love it though, waking up to sex when she was pregnant.

Quinn groaned and opened her eyes, taking deep breaths as she stared up at him with wide eyes, her hands down against the pillows either side of her face.

"What are you doing?" She asked after a long moment, her eyes darting down to where he was straddling her, her breathing ragged from him being so close to her. Damn her body and its sudden horniness when she woke up in the mornings.

Then again, if she said the word, she knew he would be more than happy to help her out.

"Waking you up," he shrugged. "It's hard to sleep when you're kicking me in the stomach every five minutes."

Yeah, she was definitely not sleeping with him now.

"You're such an asshole," she snapped, pushing him off her and getting out of the bed, tugging the curtains open and pushing the window open to get some fresh air. She loved being able to wake up and breathe in the fresh air, and to hear the birds singing. Leaving here would hurt, she knew that already and it had only been a week.

"And you're grumpy," Puck smirked, picking his jeans up from the floor and tugging them on.

"You're wearing the same underwear as yesterday?" Quinn asked, arching her brow at him. "That's disgusting."

"Quinn Fabray, is that your way of telling me you want to spend a little time with Puck junior?" He asked dramatically, grinning as she blushed.

"No, I just don't really want to sit next to you all day if you're wearing dirty underwear," she argued, tugging open her drawer.

"Fine, princess," he sighed, dropping his jeans and hooking his fingers in the waistband of his boxers, Quinn's eyes darting down his body, her teeth biting down on the corner of her lip. Horny Quinn was his favourite. "You've got about three seconds to look away," he warned, a teasing edge to his voice as he slowly started to tug his boxers down, her eyes still watching. She watched until the very last second before covering her eyes and turning away, hearing the soft thud of the fabric hitting the floor. "Hey Fabray, I'm all naked if you want to sneak a peek. I won't tell," he smirked, watching her stiffen slightly.

Quinn was silent for a second, her whole body telling her to turn around and look at him, touch him, kiss him, take him, let him have her. All she had to do was turn around. Turn around and end the sudden gush of moisture between her thighs, to end her hunger for him. It was that easy.

But she couldn't do it.

"I don't want to see you naked, Puck," she lied, blindly grabbing for some clean clothes. "I'm taking a shower."

A very, very long shower.

"Grab your bikini when you're done. I'm taking you out on the boat," he told her, tugging his trunks on and grabbing his phone.

"We have a boat?" She asked without looking back at him. For all she knew he was probably still naked. That man had no shame when it came to nudity. Then again, with a body like his, why would he?

"We have a boat," he nodded before leaving the room.

Quinn sighed in relief as the door closed, letting out a tiny moan as she thought back to him stripping off his underwear. He had teased her; he knew how she was when she woke up.

It was her turn to tease him back.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Quinn. Nice bikini " Hannah commented as she passed the blonde without looking up from her phone.<p>

"Morning, Quinn," Ruth smiled, arching a brow at her bikini. "Well, now I know why Noah wants to take the boat out."

"Is it that bad?" Quinn asked with a blush, tugging the top again with a sigh. She didn't realise how tiny the blue bikini was until she put it on in the bathroom and saw half of her ass was hanging out. Well, not really, but it felt that way.

"No, no. It just looks good on you, that's all," Ruth assured her, handing her a bottle of water.

"You're gonna stop a few hearts in that thing, girl," Maggie grinned, coming into the kitchen and looking her over. "I hope y'all are going out there to make me a great grandchild."

"Leave the girl alone, ma," Ruth sighed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

"Have you seen Puck?" Quinn asked, adjusting the thing wrap around skirt that was covering her lower half.

"He's down by the lake already," Hannah shrugged, coming into the room to hug Quinn before sprawling out on the sofa.

"You're not coming?" She asked in surprise. She had thought Hannah had gone upstairs to change into her swimwear to join them. She and Puck hadn't been alone together all week besides at night.

"No," Hannah replied. "I'm going shopping."

"Oh. Have fun," she frowned. Her and Puck alone on a boat in their swim wear. This was not a good idea. Maybe she should've worn a wetsuit instead.

"You took your time, babe. I was beginning to think you weren't coming," Puck smirked, his eyes growing wide when he looked up to see her.

He knew she was going to wear a bikini and had hoped to maybe catch a glimpse of cleavage here and there. But oh no. She had gone above and beyond. Her body was clad in the tiniest blue bikini he had ever seen, yet she somehow managed to pull it off with class, and sophistication. Screw her cleavage, at this point he could almost see her whole breasts right there, licking his lips absently as he let his eyes roam over her body, lingering on the skirt she wore, knowing exactly what she was hiding under there. His own personal heaven.

"Are you going to stand there drooling all day or are you going to help me up?" Quinn asked, arching her brow at him and holding her hand out to him. She found it funny now that he was the one staring, not her.

"Watch your step, it's kinda slippy," he warned, coming to the edge of the boat where the step was.

"Well then maybe you should lift me up so I don't fall," she replied, a flirtatious touch to her words as she bit her lip.

Puck raised his eyebrow at her but said nothing, bending slightly as he took hold of her hips to lift her into the boat, his hand accidentally slipping to her ass as she slipped, her hands clutching his hair. "Ok?" He asked, fighting the groan in his throat and removing his hand from the firm flesh of her perfectly toned ass.

"Yeah," she breathed, swallowing hard when she noticed how close their bodies were. "I'm good," she nodded, letting go of him and sitting down on the floor.

Puck nodded and took another glance at her breasts which he was sure had gotten bigger before heading up to the engine, turning the key and startling when he felt a body press up against his, tiny little hands on his chest as lips found his ear.

"Your grams is watching us from the garden," Quinn breathed into his ear, her body tight to his back. "She thinks we're taking the boat out to have sex."

"She does?" He asked, smiling as if she had told him something sexy, catching his grams winking at him. "Well maybe this will put her mind at ease," he smirked, grabbing her hips and pressing her up against the wheel, kissing her hard and feeling the warmth of her body against his.

"Is she gone yet?" Quinn breathed as he kissed her neck, closing her eyes and clutching his hair. God, that felt good.

Puck smirked against her soft skin, sucking lightly and enjoying the moan that escaped her lips before kissing up to her ear, nipping at the lobe with his teeth, licking over the shell before speaking to her. "Yes, she's gone now," he murmured, pulling away from her and starting up the engine, trying not to laugh at the anger that flickered in her eyes for a moment at the abrupt end to his kisses before she nodded and sat down again.

"So whose boat is this?" She asked, yelping and grabbing onto the edge as the boat pulled away from the boardwalk, cutting through the water easily.

"It was my grandfather's. He bought it when I was seven, and we fixed it up together," he told her, smiling at the memory.

"I've never met your grandfather," she mused, staring out at the water with a happy smile as they moved through it easily.

"He died when I was nine," he muttered. "Cancer."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know," she breathed, looking up at him with stricken eyes. She had thought maybe Puck's grandparents had gotten a divorce or something. She had no idea he was dead.

"It's ok. Grams doesn't like to talk about it, so we don't," he shrugged, holding the wheel with one hand.

"The other night, you said we were friends, that we could talk about things. Did you mean that?" Quinn asked after a long moment, reaching her hand out, feeling the spray of the water hitting her hand.

"Yes," Puck nodded. "Why?"

"I want to talk about Beth. Not just Beth, about the things that happened when I was pregnant and the summer after we gave her up. We never talk about that," she whispered, toying with the hem of her dress.

"Ok, so let's talk," he offered, turning the boat to the left so they were heading away from the house, the trees and bushes passing them by quickly, sunlight warming their bodies.

"What I did to you when I found out that I was pregnant wasn't right. I shouldn't have lied to Finn, and I shouldn't have lied to you. It was wrong, and I'm sorry. If I could change anything about that year, besides not keeping our baby, I wouldn't have lied. I would have told the truth right from the start," Quinn whispered, reaching out to touch his hand lightly. "I was a scared little girl, and I used Finn to try to hold onto what little dignity I had left. I never wanted to hurt you."

"I forgive you for lying. I understand why you did it. I wasn't exactly father material," he joked, but it fell flat.

"Yes you were," she argued. "You were and are a far better daddy than I am a mommy. You're a good father, Puck. You fought for her, for me, right from the beginning. You would've been an amazing daddy if we had kept her."

"If we could go back, right now, to that hospital after she was born and we had to make the decision all over again, would you change things and say yes? Would you keep her?" He asked, looking down into her teary eyes, offering her a comforting shoulder squeeze. He wanted to hug her, to hold her, but he knew she wouldn't want it.

"Yes," she answered instantly. "If I could go back and answer your question again, my answer would be yes."

"Me too," he sighed, speeding up slightly, enjoying the feeling of the boat bobbing along in the water. "Now it's my turn."

"Your turn to what?" She asked, looking up at him, admiring the way the sun shone on his skin, longing to reach out and stroke her fingers along his cheek.

"To apologize. What I did with Shelby in senior year, that was wrong, and I know it hurt you. I shouldn't have told you, actually no, I shouldn't have done it. I should've stuck by you. I just wanted to see Beth again, and when I had the chance, I took it without thinking of your feelings and I'm sorry for that," he murmured, offering her a small smile.

"I understand, Puck. I took away your chance to be a father once, I'm glad you didn't let me stop you again," she smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder in an almost hug before sitting down on the floor and lying back with a sigh, letting the sun warm her body. "I was jealous, of you and Shelby. Of you and Beth," she admitted, closing her eyes.

"You were jealous?" He asked, looking over his shoulder and almost swallowing his tongue at the sight of her body sprawled out like that. What he wouldn't give to have her body spread like that beneath him, minus the bikini.

"Yes," she nodded. "I wanted you to love me back then, not her. I guess I was selfish. I always thought of you as mine, that you would always be there to love me whenever I was ready. Shelby was the first woman I felt threatened by. She wasn't another hook up, and I know it would have turned into more if I hadn't threatened to expose you both. I actually had the phone number for the education board on speed dial."

"Do you still feel that way?" He asked, biting on his cheek. "Do you still think of me as yours?"

Quinn sighed, turning her head to the side. Yes, she should answer. She should spill everything out to him, the way she felt sick at the thought of him with Dianna, the way she was fighting the urge to throw him down and sleep with him right here on the floor of the boat or in the water. Mmm, in the water. That sounded good. But she couldn't. This was a job, a favour. She wasn't supposed to have feelings for him anymore. So she did what she did best. She lied.

"No," she lied. "Of course not. It's been eight years, Puck. I'm over that."

"Over that or over me?" Puck muttered, looking out to the water again. He was stupid to have hope that she was feeling the same way he was. The touches, the smiles, the way she comforted him. They obviously didn't mean anything to her. They meant everything to him, though. He wanted her, so badly it hurt.

"That, you, I don't know," she sighed. "Before all this I swore I was done with you, with us."

"And now?" He asked, arching his brow at her.

Quinn rolled over onto her stomach and looked up at him, her brows furrowed as she thought about it. Or appeared to anyway. She already knew herself that she wasn't done with him.

Before she had a chance to say anything, the boat shook violently, Quinn almost rolling off into the water, Puck dropping to his knees and grabbing her quickly, his hands warm on her waist.

"That damn engine," he sighed, letting go of her once he was sure she was ok and heading to where the engine was located, leaving Quinn breathless from his touch. She wondered if he had realised his hand had passed over her breast when he pulled away. Probably not, but she did, and it left her body longing for his.

"The engine is screwed. We'll have to wait for it to cool down," Puck sighed, dropping down next to her. "But look what I found."

"Wine coolers?" Quinn asked, taking a bottle from him. "Is that really a good idea?"

"Probably not," he shrugged, popping the cap off his and gulping it down. "But hey, the worst these bad boys can do is give us a buzz anyway."

"We both know that's not true," she sighed, rolling her eyes but taking a long gulp from hers. Cherry. Just like the night she got pregnant.

"Come on, Q. Nobody gets drunk off of two wine coolers," he laughed, shaking his head and lying back on the floor.

"I know," she smiled, licking her lips. "I just don't want any repeats of last time."

"Well we're not exactly having sex, are we?" He sighed, finishing off his drink. It would be a hell of a lot better if they were. If she was on top of him right now, her perfectly round breasts moving with her.

"No," she agreed. "We're not." It would be so much better if they were though. If he would just get on top of her and fill her with himself.

"Don't you think the water looks nice?" He asked, sitting up to look out at the water.

She did, but she thought his chest looked a lot better. Turning her eyes to the water, she felt a smile tug at her lips. It was a cool, clear blue, and it looked so inviting. She wanted to dive right in and feel it against her skin, to feel like she was in control of herself again. In fact, why shouldn't she dive in?

Quinn stood up and untied her skirt, the fabric fluttering to the floor with a rustling sound as she headed for the edge of the boat, turning to hook her finger at Puck, gesturing for him to join her. "Come swim with me," she smiled, knowing he would do so from the look in his eyes.

"You know what, Fabray? Let's go," he grinned getting up to join her at the edge. If they were stuck waiting for the engine to cool off, they might as well have some fun and enjoy themselves too.

"On three?" She asked, holding her hand up for him to take, excited to jump in.

"One," he grinned, taking her hand and lacing their fingers.

"Two," she giggled, squeezing his hand.

"Three!" They yelled before jumping in, their bodies hitting the water with a loud splash as they were submerged.

Quinn opened her eyes under the water and smiled to see Puck was right in front of her, their hands still joined together. She should've known he wouldn't let go of her. They broke the surface at the same time, coughing and laughing as they wiped water from their eyes. His skin looked even better with beads of water shining on him, and she wondered what he would do or say if she swam forwards and licked the water up from his chest. The little scars speckled here and there did nothing to discourage her desire for him, in fact, she wanted him more.

"This is nice," he grinned as they bobbed about in the water, face to face, their hands still joined.

"It is. It's cold. I like it," she smiled, flicking water at him.

"We should go swimming more often," he suggested, splashing her and enjoying the giggles that left her lips.

"You're just saying that so you can see my boobs all the time," she accused, grinning at him.

"Not true. We share a bed, babe. I could feel your boobs whenever want," he smiled smugly, looking down at said breasts. They looked even better glistening with water, and he would gladly lick them dry for her.

"Are you saying you don't like my boobs?" She demanded, her eyebrow sliding up perfectly.

"You know I like your boobs," he sighed, wiping water from under her eyes.

Quinn smiled at that, rolling her eyes and splashing him with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" He asked, flicking water back at her, his hand finding her hip so he could help her if she needed it.

"Do you think I'm a horrible person?" She frowned, holding onto his arm as her legs began to get tired from the kicking she was doing to stay afloat.

"No," he answered simply. "Do you ever wish it wasn't me?"

"No," she answered.

Those were the last words spoken between the pair before Quinn crushed her lips to his, Puck's hands pulling her hips so she was using his body to stay afloat, his fingers tangling in her hair. Quinn moaned against his lips as she held onto his neck, her tongue stroking along his top lip, begging for entry which he gladly gave to her, holding her hips tighter as her tongue thrust into his mouth greedily, trying to explore his mouth as best she could in between their hungry kisses. She was probably bruising both their lips with the force she was using but he wasn't complaining and right now she couldn't bring herself to care. She had almost forgotten how amazing it felt to kiss him, and she mentally kicked herself for waiting this long, for settling for other men's sloppy kisses when she had Puck to kiss her like this. Sparks were rushing through her body, and she wanted more. Needed more.

They broke apart after a long moment, panting for air as their foreheads pressed against each other, keeping their faces close, his hands slipping to her ass, squeezing as she stroked her thumbs along his jaw.

"Maybe we should continue this on the boat," Puck suggested, accepting her kiss eagerly as she leant in again, her lips moulding perfectly against his in the sweetest way.

Quinn nodded her agreement, her legs tight around his waist, holding onto him as he carried her out of the water onto the boat, shifting her to set her down, smiling when she held tighter to him. Her hands cupped his face, guiding his lips to hers, moaning happily as the sparks spread throughout her body. She would be happy feeling those sparks every day for the rest of her life if he let her.

They fell to the floor of the boat with a thud, Quinn pulling him on top of her, opening her mouth to accept his tongue, her legs falling apart to let him get closer to her. His hands slid down her arms to her wrists, pinning her hands down by her head as his lips left hers and made a trail down her jaw to her neck. Quinn threw her head back with a loud moan as he sought out the pulse in her throat and fell on it, sucking greedily, her neck arching to give him better access.

"Puck," she moaned, whimpering in pleasure as he kissed down her neck, stopping to lick over her collarbone before continuing down her chest.

"Mmm," he mumbled, nuzzling the firm mound of her breast, his tongue finding her nipple, circling the little nub before sucking on it, peeling her bikini top aside to bare her breast to his lips, licking up the drops of water like he had wanted to do earlier. "You're so beautiful."

"Kiss me," she breathed, tugging his lips back to hers, a guttural moan leaving her throat as his bulge came into contact with her center. God, she wanted to feel him, taste him.

However, before she got to, they were interrupted by the sound of a boat approaching them.

"Morning, folks," the coastguard grinned, taking off his sunglasses as he pulled up beside them.

"Oh my God," Quinn mumbled, blushing bright red and hiding her face from view.

"How can we help you, man?" Puck asked, keeping Quinn's body covered. Ten minutes later and the coastguard would've come across something much more intimate and involved than their making out.

"Are you folks aware that sexual acts in a boat can be classed as public indecency?" The coastguard grinned, clearly finding this funny.

"We're going to get arrested and we didn't even have sex," Quinn muttered into his chest, shame washing over her. This was a mistake. She wasn't supposed to do things like this with him. Not anymore.

"Whose boat is this?" he asked, winking at Quinn who groaned and hid her face again.

"My gram's," Puck shrugged, Quinn slapping him around the head.

"Hooking up in your grandmother's boat? You've got my respect, man," the coastguard chuckled, watching them in amusement.

"She's uh, she's actually my fiancé. Its not a hook up, man," Puck told him, keeping his hand inside Quinn's bikini top, despite her efforts to pull it out for him, giving her breast a firm squeeze. He had every intention of continuing this.

"Oh, I totally get it. Look, if you can keep your sexcapades to the privacy of your home, I'll let this slide," he grinned. "Have a great day, guys," he added before heading away from them.

"Where were we?" Puck mumbled, tugging her top aside again and pressing a kiss to her breast, Quinn letting out a long moan before her hands found his shoulders, pushing him off her and shaking her head.

"We can't do this," she told him, fixing her top. "Not again."

"Do what?" he asked, frowning in confusion at the unreadable look on her face.

"This. Us. We can't go down this road again. I know this feeling, these feelings that I'm feeling for you. The last time I felt this way about you, you broke my heart and slept with Shelby. We can't do this, not again," she told him, getting to her feet and keeping her eyes away from him

"I want you, Quinn. I want to be with you," he replied. "I didn't want to have these feelings for you, either. But I do, and no matter what I do, I can't stop wanting you, loving you. I slept with Shelby to try to get over you, but it didn't work. I've never been able to get over you, baby," he sighed, rubbing his face.

"Try harder," she snapped. "Because we're not doing this. Not again. I don't want to be with you, I don't need you, I don't love you."

"That's a lie and you know it," he spat, growing angry at her, at her need to shut herself off from him every time they got close.

"Its not," she denied. "Those kisses were a mistake. I kissed you because I was horny and I knew you wouldn't say no to me. It meant nothing."

Puck stared at her for a long moment before nodding and heading for the front of the boat, turning the key in the engine and sighing in relief as it started. All he wanted right now was to get home and get as far away from her as he could. He loved her, he knew that now. The feelings he had been having towards her, they were love. He was still in love with her, and she used him to relieve a little pressure inside.

Quinn stayed sat at the other end of the boat, her knees tucked up against her chest like a shield, tears stinging her eyes as the boat headed back for the house.

Puck didn't speak a word to her at all on the forty minute ride home, and she knew that at that moment in time, he hated her. And it hurt. It hurt like nothing she'd felt before.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Quinn asked meekly, hovering by the doorway as she watched him searching his drawers for something. They had been home for almost two hours now, and he had avoided her at all costs.<p>

Puck ignored her and continued to look for his car keys. He wanted to, no, he needed to get out of this house.

"Is this how its going to be now for us? You're going to ignore me when we're not around your family?" she frowned, tears springing to her eyes at the thought of him hating her so much that he wasn't going to bother to talk to her anymore.

"There is no us," he snapped, finally finding his keys and shoving them in his pocket.

Quinn winced at that, at the harshness of his voice. She knew he deserved to be angry with her for what she said to him, but she didn't think it would really truly hurt him. She didn't want to hurt him. Not after what he did for her this past week.

"Where are you going?" she whispered, watching him change his shirt.

"Out," he answered, checking his phone again.

"With who?" she asked, holding her tears in as he sprayed on his cologne. He was going out with a woman, or to see a woman. She knew from his shirt.

"Why do you care?" he asked finally, looking up at her.

"I don't," she lied. "I just don't want you in our bed tonight if you're out sleeping with the whole town.

"I don't want to share that bed with you anyway," he shrugged, pushing past her and heading for the stairs.

"Will you come home?" She asked, fighting back her tears. She wasn't going to let him see her cry.

"Maybe," he replied and then he was gone, and she was alone.

He'd promised he wouldn't ever leave her, not like the others did, but he had. Because she pushed him away. And she hated herself for it. Quinn let her body sag to the floor, her head falling to her knees as she began to cry, silently at first before huge sobs were wracking her body.

She hadn't lost him. She had pushed him away and shut him out. This was her fault. All of it.

* * *

><p>"What do we tell Quinn?" Ruth asked, her voice muffled through the door.<p>

"The truth," Maggie sighed, rubbing her face.

"What's going on?" Quinn asked, pushing open the living room door. She had heard them come home a while ago, had heard the phone ring, had heard Ruth crying. This wasn't good.

"Quinn," Hannah sobbed, getting up from the sofa and hugging her tight, crying into her chest.

"Sweetie, maybe you should sit down," Maggie suggested, her eyes red and damp.

Quinn frowned but did as she suggested, lowering herself into the armchair, watching Ruth tearfully console Hannah. Something was wrong, she could feel it in her stomach.

"Honey, there's been an accident," Maggie whispered, taking her hands.

No. She knew what came next and she didn't want to hear it. Not again. Lord, please, not again.

"No," she whispered. "Please, don't say it."

"Its Noah. Sweetheart, its not looking good," Ruth admitted, her voice breaking as tears ran down her cheeks.

"What does that mean?" Quinn breathed, a painful sob bubbling up out of her throat.

She knew exactly what that meant. She had been in a serious car accident before. She knew exactly what it meant when things weren't looking doctors had told her she was lucky, that things were looking good for her. And she had ended up in a wheelchair. She didn't want to think of what it meant for Puck if things weren't looking good.

"They don't think he's going to make it."

_ If you find my cold remains, will you bury them with you?_

_ In a field far away, from the damage that they do._

* * *

><p><em><strong>And that my friends is where I say see you later. Have a great day, and please review :)<strong>_

**_Song lyrics used: Mark Salling- Fugitive _**


	7. Will leave you in the morning

_**So I ended up not going to NCS. I've had a few fainting spells this weekend and so it was better for me to stay at home. I didn't want to faint off a cliff or something like that. So boo for me, but at least I can update now, so yay! Thank you to readbetweenthesigns (still fangirling that you actually read this), Zanabananaa, AgronSalling, Diannaxagron, diarenna, maximumfire, agronaut13, guest and guest for your reviews. They mean the world to me. **_

_**Also, I've had a few people messaging me to ask me how I got a follow from Mark on instagram, so I figured I'd clear that up. Mark has been following fans for weeks now, and I never got noticed, no matter how hard I tried so one day I thought screw it, what's the worst that could happen and sent him a message through instagram. It was more like an essay, but oh well. I told him how much I love him, how proud I am of him and how he's helped me through personal issues like my depression and certain things along that line. I got my follow right after he read it. I'm not saying you should go and pour your heart out to him; I did because I wanted him to know what he means to me. I didn't expect him to see it. All I have to say is if you're a true fan of him, not just glee, HIM, then you'll get there :)**_

_**I'm dedicating this chapter to Zanabananaa, who truly is the biggest supporter I have. I love you x**_

_**Enjoy..**_

* * *

><p><em>I find myself at your door, just like all those times before.<em>

_I'm not sure how I got here, all roads they lead me here..._

Quinn sat as still as a statue in the waiting room, her eyes focused on a spot on the plain white wall. Tick tock. Tick tock. The clock ticked by, the hands haunting her thoughts, each second stabbing her in the heart at the thought that it could be Puck's last. Nobody was talking. Hannah had cried herself to sleep in Ruth's lap, and Maggie was sat in a chair staring down at her hands. If they talked, it was real. The longer they stayed in their own minds, the longer they could pretend this was all a bad dream.

Puck's car had been slammed into by a truck driven by a drunk driver, and it had flipped over several times before smashing into a ditch and setting on fire. Fire. He was afraid of fire, and Quinn hated herself for not being there with him. She hated herself for a lot of things, especially as this was all her fault. If she hadn't been such a coward, if she had made him stay, if she had talked to him instead of shutting him out, he wouldn't have left and he wouldn't be here now. If he died, his blood was on her hands. She would have murdered the one person that truly loved her and was there for her, no matter what.

She needed to see him, to speak to him, just one more time. One more time to tell him the truth, to apologize, to make him come back to her, to make him see that she needed him. She felt lost without him, like she was operating under a veil of fog. Nothing was real to her. Not now.

"Mr Puckerman is stable for now. We've managed to remove the metal from his leg, and to reset his ribs, but I'm afraid he hasn't come around yet. There may be brain injuries yet that we can't see. Its a matter of waiting now. Waiting to see if he makes it through the night," a doctor sighed, approaching the family with a glum look in his eyes, his lips tight together in a firm line.

Ruth was about to thank him for taking care of her son when Quinn spoke up, her voice cold and harsh.

"That's all you have to say? We have to wait to see if he lives? That's it?" Quinn demanded, staring up at him with hard eyes. Doctors were supposed to help, to make people better. So why wasn't anyone making Puck better?

"Miss Fabray, there's nothing else we can do at this point. Your fiancé is very lucky to be alive, and with him in a coma, its not clear if he'll survive. I assure you, we're doing all we can," the doctor assured her, sighing to see his words did nothing to ease the coldness in the blonde's eyes.

"Thank you, doctor. We appreciate it," Ruth nodded, putting her hand on Quinn's knee to calm her down before she ended up murdering the poor doctor.

"When can I see him?" Quinn asked, raising her eyebrow at the doctor and daring him to tell her she couldn't see him. She would get up and walk right in there if he tried to stop her. She needed to apologize to Puck and make him understand that she was just scared. Scared of everything she felt for him.

"You can go in to speak to him now if you like, but he won't be able to respond," he warned before heading away.

"Go on, Quinn," Maggie urged. "If Noah is going to come around for someone, it'll be for you."

Quinn stared at her for a moment before nodding and getting to her feet, heading down the hall to Puck's room. She hated hospitals. Always had and always would. They reminded her of her daughter, and it was never a good thing for her to dwell on that day. It wouldn't do her any good to be in tears right now. Puck was the important one right now, and she had to make it up to him, had to look after him and make this right. She had to find a way to gain his forgiveness for what she had done. It was her fault. And it was up to her to fix it.

She pushed the door open slowly and took a deep breath, letting it close behind her and heading over to Puck's bed, tears springing to her eyes. She had expected blood everywhere and mangled flesh with bones showing. This wasn't at all what she had expected, yet somehow it scared her more than the blood and bones would have. It looked as though Puck was asleep. He looked peaceful, and she was glad of that. She didn't want him to suffer. The only sign of the accident on his face were the stitches down the left side of his forehead. Her hand seemed to move of its own accord, reaching out and stroking his cheek.

"Puck, can you hear me?" Quinn asked, her voice trembling as she brushed her thumb over his lip, longing to feel them move as he spoke. But they didn't, because he hadn't.

"Its me. Its Quinn. Puck, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand," she told him, hot tears swimming in her eyes, his body not moving in the slightest. He couldn't hear her, or at least if he could, he wasn't responding to her.

"You promised," she sobbed, tears spilling down her cheeks. "You promised you wouldn't say goodbye to me."

But then again, she had promised she wouldn't hurt him, and she had. So maybe the time for keeping promises was over. The thought sent her crumpling to her knees beside his bed in tears, her hands clutching his as she cried and cried.

* * *

><p>"Quinn? Visiting hours are almost up, sweetheart. I think you should get some sleep, we'll come back tomorrow," Maggie murmured, sitting in the seat beside the blonde who was holding Puck's hand tight in hers, her eyes locked on his face.<p>

"No," Quinn refused, shaking her head. "I'm not leaving him. I need to be here when he wakes up."

"Honey, there's nothing you can do here sitting by his bed all night. The best thing you can do is take care of yourself so he can wake up to a healthy fiancé, not a sleep walking one," Maggie smiled, nudging her slightly, looking at her grandson with a sigh. This was the second time Noah had been in a coma, and last time it had taken him almost two weeks to wake up. They had actually considered turning off his machines. She prayed it wouldn't come to that again.

"I need to stay. I know you don't understand it, but please. I need to stay," she breathed, holding his hand tighter, her fingers checking his pulse was still thrumming in his wrist. She didn't trust this machines, but then again she didn't trust herself either.

"I do understand it, darling. I wanted to stay with Seth every second of every day when he was in hospital. It didn't change anything then, and it won't change anything now for you to do the same. You've been in here for two hours. You need sleep. I promise if Noah wakes up tonight, we'll come straight back," Maggie promised, squeezing her knee gently.

"I can't let him be alone. He has to know, he has to understand," she argued. She didn't want sleep, she didn't want food. She wanted Puck to be ok, she wanted to explain that she was scared. Scared of what she felt for him, scared of what had happened last time, scared of what could happen again. He had to know that she was sorry. She was so sorry.

"Did you have a fight before Noah left?" Maggie asked, picking up on the guilt shining in her hazel eyes, her reluctance to leave more understandable now.

"It was my fault. I was wrong, and now he's in this bed and no one knows if he's coming back. It should have been me. I was the one in the wrong. I should have been in the accident, not him. He should be out living his life," Quinn whispered, lifting her hand to wipe away the tears that fell from her lashes, leaning forwards slightly in her seat. She had thought she'd seen Puck's eye move. Maybe she was overtired.

"He wouldn't be out there living. He would be in your seat now, doing just as you're doing, waiting for you to wake up. You're both as stubborn as each other. Maybe that's why your relationship works," Maggie sighed, winking at Quinn when she looked up, something broken in those damp hazel eyes of hers.

Or why it doesn't, Quinn thought. They were both too stubborn to be together, to work things out. Or maybe it was just her. Maybe she was just too stubborn for anyone to love her.

But Puck did.

He loved her. And she had shut him out, pushed him away and hurt him to make sure he stayed away.

"I need to stay," Quinn told her again, and this time Maggie simply nodded.

"Then we stay together, pretty girl," she murmured, taking hold of her hand and sighing.

So they did, for as long as they could before the doctors made them leave.

"He'll be ok, won't he?" Quinn asked, looking up at Maggie for her input. The older woman seemed to know everything.

"Of course he will."

They only thing was they both knew there was a large chance that he wouldn't be.

* * *

><p>"Quinn? Can I sleep in here with you tonight? I don't want to be on my own," Hannah sniffled, quietly pushing open the door, spotting the blonde huddled up on the bed, a pillow hugged to her chest.<p>

"Sure, come here," Quinn nodded, wiping her tears away quickly as the young girl headed to her bed. She wasn't the only one hurting from Puck's accident, and Hannah had more of a right to be upset than she did. All she was was a fake fiancé. Hannah was his sister. She deserved comfort more.

Hannah climbed up on the bed and crawled under the covers until she found the blonde's body, sighing as she felt Quinn's arms close around her, hugging her close to her chest.

"He'll be ok, won't he?" Hannah asked tearfully, looking up at Quinn. She smelt of cherries and Puck, and it was oddly soothing.

"I know he'll try his best to be," Quinn told her, stroking her fingers through her dark hair, enjoying the small weight of her body in her arms. She was trying not to think about holding Beth, but it wasn't going so well.

"Last time it took two weeks for him to wake up. I don't think it'll take that long this time," Hannah mumbled, her head resting on her breasts, soothed by Quinn's touch. She wondered if the blonde knew how motherly she was.

"Why not?" Quinn asked, holding her close, hoping she was bringing Hannah some sort of comfort.

"Because you're here this time," Hannah whispered simply, closing her eyes with a sigh.

Quinn bit her lip at that. If only it were that simple.

* * *

><p>"You're here early," a doctor noted as Quinn signed in.<p>

"Where else would I be?" Quinn asked in response, checking her phone again. She hadn't sleep at all last night, and she had alternated between praying and texting Kurt for help. It had gotten to the point where she was willing to sell her soul to the devil, and she felt so guilty she couldn't eat a thing at breakfast. She shouldn't be enjoying food when Puck couldn't, anyway. Kurt had promised her that he and Rachel were flying out today, along with Santana, Blaine, Mercedes, Sam and Brittany. Quinn really didn't care who came, but the more people she had to talk with Puck, the better.

"There's been little change, I'm afraid. His blood pressure is a little better, but that's it," the doctor told her, leading her down the hall to Puck's room. The Puckerman family would be joining her later.

"It's something," Quinn shrugged in response. She hadn't expected anything, but even something as little as his blood pressure improving gave her hope. There was nothing wrong with hope.

"It is," the doctor agreed before leaving her alone with Puck.

"Hey, Puck. It's me, Quinn. Can you hear me?" Quinn asked, taking hold of his hand, seeking out his pulse with a sigh of relief. He looked so beautiful when he was sleeping, and she loved to watch him sleep, but now she would give anything for him to wake up.

"I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry for all of this. This shouldn't have happened. It wasn't supposed to be like this. You were supposed to be mad at me for a day or so, and then we'd go back to being friends again. You weren't supposed to end up here, and I'm so sorry. I wish I could take your place. I wish you would open your eyes, Noah," she sniffed, stroking along his cool cheek, closing her eyes and savoring the feeling of his stubble against her skin. She didn't know if she'd get to feel it again.

Puck didn't say anything. Didn't move. Didn't blink. Nothing.

"I didn't want to hurt you, Puck. I never wanted to hurt you. I told you I was a bad person, that I'd screw things up. You were the one person I didn't want to ruin; you're all I have. But I've ruined you, too. I am so sorry," she whispered, her tears hitting his chest as she leant over him, her forehead moving to rest against his, her hands cradling his face. "Please come back."

Again, there was nothing. And it broke her heart.

"Please. Please don't leave me out here alone. Please," she begged, her tears falling faster, hitting his skin and leaving marks there. As if she hadn't marked him up enough already.

Nothing she did was working, and she just needed him to open his eyes and be ok. Even if he hated her. Even if he never wanted to see her again. She just needed him to be ok.

Finally, she snapped.

"You promised me! You promised you wouldn't leave me, you promised! Open your eyes, Puck. I know you can hear me, please! You promised!" Quinn cried, her voice a hysterical scream as she clutched at his face, his chest, his shoulders, anywhere she could. Why wouldn't he come back? "You promised me!" She sobbed, beating on his chest, trying every thing she could to rouse him.

Rachel and Kurt came running into the room at the sound of her screams, Kurt's arms wrapping tight around her, hauling her off of the bed and dragging her towards the door, the blonde sobbing loudly, too tired to fight them off, though she tried at first, it was clear they were stronger than her.

"Please," she sobbed, not caring that her friends probably thought she was crazy. Not caring that Santana was looking at her in pity. Not caring that the doctors probably thought she was crazy. She didn't care about anything. Not her friends, not herself, not God, not anything.

Just Puck.

* * *

><p>"She's not talking to anyone," Santana sighed, sitting next to Rachel, both of them watching the blonde who was still crying, her small body huddled up against the wall. They had tried to comfort her. Each and every one of them, and she had either fought them off or ignored them until they left her alone.<p>

"I haven't seen her like this since Beth was adopted," Mercedes mumbled, not that it mattered. Quinn wasn't listening. She didn't care what they thought or had to say about her.

"We can't leave her like this. It's not healthy," Blaine sighed, getting to his feet.

"She doesn't even know you, Warbler," Santana snapped, rolling her eyes and gesturing for Brittany to get up, the two of them heading over to Quinn, sitting either side of her.

"Penny for your thoughts," Santana offered, leaning her head on Quinn's shoulder, wiping away her tears gently.

"This is all my fault," she whispered. "It's my fault he left and got into his accident."

"Puck isn't mad at you, Quinnie. He's sad that you're sad," Brittany told her with a pout, toying with her fingers.

Brittany was the only person she let call her Quinnie. Her mom called her that, and she hated it. But it was Brittany, and she couldn't be mean to her.

"We're gonna get you some coffee, and we're gonna get you cleaned up, ok? You'll feel better then," Santana told her, hugging her close before she and Brittany headed off in search of coffee. In all honesty, they had no idea what to say to her. They couldn't promise Puck would be ok, because she knew there was a huge chance he wouldn't be.

"Alright, Q. Here's what we're gonna do. You're going to tell us everything that happened, we're gonna clean you up and we're gonna go in there and bring him back, ok?" Kurt asked, he and Rachel joining her on the floor. They were the only ones that knew the truth, and she trusted them. They would understand what she was feeling.

"I kissed him. We were out on the boat and we said some things and I kissed him and we ended up making out on the boat. It would've gone further if we weren't interrupted by the coastguard. Puck tried to kiss me again after he had gone, but I was scared, so I told him it was a mistake and that the only reason I kissed him was because I was horny and he wouldn't say no to me. I hurt him. And he left, and got into his accident. This is all my fault," Quinn whispered, staring at her knees. She didn't want pity, or attention, or empathy. She didn't want any of that.

"Why did you shut him out?" Rachel asked gently, touching her arms softly to comfort her.

"I was scared. I thought if I let him in, I would end up broken again. I never meant to hurt him. Not like this," she breathed, wiping away her tears with a sniffle.

"Sweetie, we're all scared of love. Of what it can do, of what it can make us do. You have every reason to be scared, Quinn. What with your family, and Beth, and your exes, it's understandable for you to be afraid to let anyone in. But when you look back, who has been there by your side through it all?" Kurt asked her, sitting in front of her to see her.

Quinn looked up at him and sniffed again, wiping her cheek sadly before answering, "Puck has."

"Exactly. Puck has. He's seen the good and the bad, and then the really bad. But you've always had him. Just let him in, Q," Rachel smiled softly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"It's too late. He could die any minute now, and he can't hear me. I've lost my chance to apologize, to explain, to be with him. It's too late for us. It wasn't meant to be this way. It was supposed to be a favour, a way for us to help out his grams. I wasn't supposed to have feelings for the boy that knocked me up when I was sixteen. I'm not supposed to-" she cut off quickly, before she said something they really didn't need to hear.

"Not supposed to what?" Kurt asked, wanting to hear the rest.

"Love him," she whispered. "I'm not supposed to love him."

"But you do. You do, and he deserves to hear that. This isn't about you being scared anymore. This is about Puck, and the fact that he could die on us today. You need to tell him that you love him," Rachel urged. "You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you don't. I wish I had the chance to go back and tell Finn I love him. You have your chance."

"I can't do it," Quinn whispered, shaking her head and getting to her feet. "I'm sorry," she added before heading down the hall for the fire exit, desperately needing some air.

Sam was already out there on the roof, and she ignored him, walking right up to the edge and taking a deep breath.

"You're not gonna jump, are you?" Sam asked, watching her carefully.

"No. I just needed to breathe," she replied, stepping back and tilting her head back with a sigh. Too much had happened in the last few days, and she wasn't sure how much more she could handle.

"I didn't know you were going to marry Puck," San told her, walking over to join her, scratching his neck absently.

"Well now you do," she shrugged. She didn't want to talk to him about Puck. She didn't want to talk to anyone about Puck. Her feelings were confusing enough, she didn't need to add more to it.

She wanted to go in there and tell Puck she loved him. She knew now that that was what it was. Love. The way she felt about him, the smiles, the touches, the kisses, the hugs, the cuddles at night when it was just the two of them. She loved him for accepting her, for wanting her and caring for her. She loved him, but she was far too afraid to admit it. The last time she had, she had lost Beth, and it had ruined her for good. She couldn't and wouldn't do that again.

"Do you love him?" Sam asked, a weird look in his eyes.

"Why are you asking me that?" She demanded, hands on her hips as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I don't think you love him," he shrugged, looking back out at the view of the town.

"What would you know about love?" She laughed, shaking her head and sighing.

"I dated you, too. Remember?" He asked, glancing over at her.

Yes, they had dated. But Quinn had used him. Used him to make Puck jealous, and to keep her place on top. She hadn't loved Sam, not even a little. He was a friend at the most, and she had honestly been glad to get out of the relationship with him.

"Yes. I remember," she nodded.

"I loved you. You loved me. I think you still love me, and I know I still love you. Come on, baby. We can leave now and be together. I want you," Sam breathed before kissing her hard and grasping her ass in his hand.

Quinn struggled in his arms, her hand colliding with his face with a loud slapping sound, her hand stinging from the force she had slapped him with. How dare he kiss and grope her like that.

"What the fuck?!" Sam cried, clutching his cheek, his eyes wide.

"I don't love you, I never did. Don't you ever kiss me again, or I swear to God I will kill you. I love Puck, and you need to leave me alone," she hissed, pushing past him and heading for the door.

"I'm not done with us. You'll come back to me, I know you will," he told her, watching her whip around and glare at him.

"There is no us. There has never truly been an us. I used you, I cheated on you. I love Puck, it's always been Puck. Leave me alone," Quinn spat angrily before heading back into the hospital. She needed to see Puck.

Now.

* * *

><p>Quinn pushed open the door to Puck's room, ready to spill her heart out when she realised the room was already occupied.<p>

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were in here," Quinn breathed, offering Maggie a smile and turning to leave. His grams deserved time with him alone.

"Come sit with me," Maggie invited, patting the seat beside her. "Ruth and Hannah have gone home. I don't think Hannah likes hospitals much."

Quinn smiled and let the door close behind her, taking a seat next to her and taking hold of Puck's hand, brushing her thumb over his pulse, Maggie smiling sweetly.

"I love how you do that. It's like you don't trust the machines telling you his heart is still beating," Maggie smiled, patting her knee lightly.

"Is it weird of me to do that?" Quinn asked, blushing slightly. "I can't help it."

"No, not at all. I think it's a very special, intimate thing," Maggie replied. In truth, it reminded her of when Seth was dying. She had done the exact same thing. It wasn't weird at all.

"I don't handle loss very well. Not since we lost Beth. I have to feel for myself that he's still here," Quinn sighed, squeezing his hand, wishing he would squeeze back.

"I remember the first time Noah told me about you. He called me one night to rave on and on about the new head cheerleader with the angel eyes. He thought you were an angel the first time he saw you. His beautiful cheerleading Angel," Maggie smiled, remembering the phone call like it was yesterday. She had never heard him sound so smitten by a girl before.

"And did he just slip in there that I was pregnant?" Quinn asked with a laugh, stroking her thumb over his knuckles lightly.

"Oh, no, sweetheart. This was before you were pregnant. A good month or two before. When he did call to tell me he had gotten a girl pregnant, I knew it was you. He wasn't scared, or regretful for making a baby with you like his father had been when Ruth told him she was pregnant. He sounded happy about the baby. You've always been the one for him, Quinn. It was always just a matter of when. I'm glad I get to see you two make your way back to each other before I go," she sighed, squeezing her grandson's hand tight in hers.

"He said that?" Quinn asked, her voice cracking slightly, tears springing to her eyes.

"Noah likes to be the big, tough man. He likes to intimidate others, so no one has the chance to hurt him. He has a shell, the shell he used when he was in high school. He's not like that, really. He's sweet, and kind, and he loves fearlessly. He's loved you since before you two made that beautiful little girl of yours. You've always been the one to crack his shell and get to the real Noah. You're his soul mate," Maggie shrugged. It was as simple as that in her eyes. "I'm going to check on your friends. I have a feeling the Latina will have started a fight with someone by now," she joked, squeezing Quinn's shoulder before leaving the room.

Quinn waited until the door had closed behind her before getting to her feet and leaning over the side of the bed.

"Puck? Can you hear me? It's me, it's Quinn," she smiled, stroking along his cheek softly, wishing he could hear what she was about to tell him next.

"I love you, Puck. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I loved you when I knew that I did. But most of all, I'm sorry that I gave up on us when you never did. I know you better than I know myself, and I love you so much it consumes me. It scares me how much I love you, how much I need you. It's always been you, baby. You know that, I know you do because you know me like nobody else does. You know I'm selfish, and that reputation meant everything to me and even though I've changed a lot, you know I still worry about what people think of me. But you, you've never judged me, not ever. Not when we kissed under the bleachers because I was all alone that day. Not when we slept together after I told you about how much I hated my body. Not when I got pregnant and lied about Finn being her father when I know now I should have told the truth. You didn't judge me for giving Beth up, or for going crazy in senior year. You loved me through it all, and I know now that I loved you too," Quinn whispered tearfully, her thumb brushing over his lower lip.

"The kiss and what happened on the boat, that wasn't a mistake. I missed you because I love you, not because I was horny. I lied afterwards because I was scared. Scared of you, of what I feel for you, scared of the past, of the future. The last time I admitted to loving you, we lost our daughter four hours later. I was scared of us somehow repeating our past, and I didn't want to lose you again. I barely survived losing you after graduation. There was no way I could handle losing you again, so I shut you out. I don't deserve your love, Puck. But I love you. I love you so much it hurts, and I just want you to come back to me, so I can kiss you and make sure you never leave my sight, or my life, again. I need you, baby. Please, please don't make me lose you again. I love you," Quinn sniffed, tears rolling down her cheeks as she climbed up onto the bed.

"I love you, Puck," she breathed, kissing him softly and stroking his cheek lovingly. "I won't ever break your heart again."

Quinn settled down against his chest and held on tight to his waist, letting the tears fall. She had done it. She had told him how she felt, or at least a little bit of it. All she could do now was pray for him to be ok.

"I love you," Quinn whispered again before she fell asleep, her head on his chest and her legs wrapped tight around his uninjured thigh.

She always slept better with him.

* * *

><p>"Should we wake her?" Santana asked as they stood in the doorway, watching Quinn sleep, her body curved and entwined with Puck's so it was hard to see where he started and she ended.<p>

"No, let her sleep. It'll do them both some good," Kurt sighed, leaning his head on Blaine's chest.

"Do you think they'll be able to bring him back?" Mercedes asked, sighing sadly as she watched the blonde sleep. None of this was fair.

"Tell them I can hear them, Britt. Tell them to leave Quinn where she is," Puck murmured, stood beside Brittany, watching Quinn sleeping on his body. He had heard her. Had heard everything she had said and done all day. He knew she blamed herself for his accident, he knew Sam had kissed her. Speaking of Sam, where was the blonde little- ah, there he was.

"Ow!" Sam cried, his hand flying to his hair. It felt like someone had just tugged his hair out.

That's for touching my girl, Puck thought with a smirk.

"Puck said that's for kissing his girl," Brittany told Sam happily, the blonde staring at her in disbelief.

"You kissed Quinn?" Mercedes demanded angrily, hands on her hips.

"Babe, how did you know that?" Santana asked her girlfriend, surprise evident in her voice, Quinn waking up at the sound of Mercedes yelling at Sam, lifting her head sleepily from Puck's chest.

"Because Puck is here. Quinn, he wants me to tell you that he loves you too, and that it's not your fault," Brittany told her with a smile. "He loves you and he wants you to be happy. He knows you're scared, but he wants me to tell you it's like the thunder. You're scared of that too, but he'll always be there to hold you through it."

Before Quinn had a chance to reply, the machines started beeping loudly.

Something was wrong.

_ This is the last time I'm asking you this, put my name at the top of your list._

_ This is the last time I'm asking you why, you break my heart in the blink of an eye._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sorry for the lack of Quick interaction here. I tried to focus more on Quinn and how she handled Puck being in a coma and her guilt over the situation. <strong>_

_**Song lyrics used: Taylor Swift ft Gary Lightbody: The Last Time**_

_**Please review, and have a great day;) **_


	8. And find you in the day

_**How amazing was Dianna in I'm Not The Only One?! I seriously had tears in my eyes when she broke down on the floor. Sam Smith and Dianna was a genius combination. Too bad Mark wasn't in the video with her, sigh. **_

**_A huge thank you to FinchelQuick34 for your amazing review. It meant so much to me, especially as your story home is one of my top five Quick fics. I love it and you. Thank you so much. Also, to diannaxagron, your reviews make me feel warm inside, so thank you. I didn't expect to even get two reviews for this, let alone the amount I have now. It means the world to me, and all of you that take the time to read this, I love you, so much. _**

**_Lastly, Mark has apparently confirmed he will be in season six, so now we're just waiting on Dianna. If they take Quick away, I'm throwing a riot because we had to wait years for them to finally be together. _**

**_Anyway, enough of my rambling. Enjoy :)_**

* * *

><p><em> You say I'm crazy, cause you don't think I know what you've done..<em>

"Miss Fabray?" Asked a nurse, looking around the group of people sat waiting on the benches outside Puck's room.

"Yes?" Quinn whispered, looking up from where she sat against the wall beside the door. "Is he...is he ok?"

"He's perfectly fine, sweetheart. The machines went off because his blood pressure rose for a moment, but he's completely fine. You can go in to see him if you like," she offered with a kind smile, helping the blonde to her feet.

"Do any of you want to come with me?" Quinn asked, looking to her friends who had been waiting just as long as she had.

"No, honey, you go ahead. We can see him any time," Mercedes nodded, squeezing her hand in hers.

"Ok," Quinn sniffed, pushing open the door and closing it behind her, crossing the room to Puck's bed, stroking her hand along his cheek, relieved to feel the warmth there. "You almost gave me a heart attack, you know that?" She asked tearfully, shaking her head and leaning in to kiss him, resting her forehead against his for a long moment before sitting down beside his bed, keeping his hand in hers.

"I was thinking when you wake up, we could try to get in contact with Beth, maybe see if we could spend a day or two with her. I think that would be good for the both of us," she told him, stroking her thumb over his knuckles softly. "Brittany said you can hear me, so baby, if you can hear me, I need you to come back to me. I need you, Puck. I can't sleep at night without you hogging the covers and talking with me until I fall asleep. I wish I had been in the accident with you, I wish you weren't alone when it happened, I wish it was me in that bed right now, not you. I'm so sorry," she sobbed, clutching his face in her hands, burying her face in his neck. "I am so sorry."

* * *

><p>"You guys can go see him now," Quinn whispered, her voice husky from her tears. She had spent almost an hour crying into his chest and he hadn't come back to her. Maybe he would for their friends, if not for her.<p>

"Are you ok?" Rachel asked, getting up to pull her into a hug, stroking her hair in an attempt to comfort her.

"I'm fine. I'm going to call Jake, maybe that'll help. Puck loves his brother," Quinn sniffled, wiping at her cheek.

"Not as much as he loves you," Brittany smiled, leaning her head on Quinn's shoulder.

"Well, I'm not working so I have to find someone that does work. I can't lose him," she breathed, offering her a small smile before finding her phone and heading off down the hall.

"Do you think she's going to be ok?" Mercedes asked, glancing down the hall at where Quinn was slumped against the wall, the phone held to her ear.

"I think she needs to sleep," Santana sighed. "But she won't until he wakes up. We all know that."

"It's strange that we didn't know they were together, let alone engaged," Blaine frowned, tapping his chin thoughtfully as they headed into Puck's room.

"That's because nobody likes you," Santana smiled, rolling her eyes and heading over to Puck, flicking his forehead.

"Santana!" Rachel cried, pulling her away with a horrified look on her face.

"What? I was just checking," the Latina shrugged, sitting down beside the bed, Brittany sat by her feet like a child.

"Hey Noah, it's me, Rachel," Rachel smiled, touching his arm lightly, studying his face with a frown. He truly did look like he was sleeping.

"Plot twist," Santana muttered, Brittany giggling and nudging her knee. She knew Santana's snark got worse when she was worried or upset. She didn't mean anything by it.

"You need to wake up, mohawk. That girl out there needs her man, and your momma misses you something awful. We all miss you, Puck," Mercedes sighed, squeezing his hand, trying to gauge a reaction.

Nothing.

"Sam, stop hiding over there and come say something to Puck," Kurt ordered with a scowl, hands on his hips. He couldn't believe he had had the cheek to kiss Quinn at a time like this. Or at all. It was pretty much set in stone that Quinn was Puck's and vice versa.

Sam blushed and nodded, shuffling over to the bed, his head ducked low in embarrassment. "Hey man, uh, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for, uh, kissing Quinn and stuff. That wasn't cool. I'm sorry," he mumbled, his hands thrust in his pockets. He shouldn't have kissed the blonde, he knew that. It was a real dick move, but he couldn't help it.

"You're still a tool," Brittany told him with a happy smile, Santana sniggering and leaning down to kiss her girlfriend's hair.

"She's not wrong," Mercedes scowled. "You and I have talking to do."

"Hey guys, Quinn called. Our flight was delayed, or we would've been here earlier," Kitty smiled as she wheeled Artie into the room, her smile fading when she saw Puck.

"At least you're here," Rachel offered, shifting aside so Artie could get to Puck.

"Hey man, you look awful," Artie grinned, punching Puck's arm good naturedly. "Like really bad. You should wake up and take a shower."

The glee club simply smiled at the teasing, knowing that after Finn, Artie had always been Puck's best friend after he got out of juvie. It had been Puck who had begged Artie to help Quinn after her accident, as she wouldn't answer his calls or let him visit her. He was glad Artie had been a friend to her when she wouldn't let him.

"How long has he been asleep for?" Kitty asked softly, looking to Mercedes for answers. "And where is Quinn? We haven't seen her yet."

"Just over two days. Quinn was going to call Jake and ask him to fly out here too," Mercedes told her, sighing and leaning back in her seat.

"Do you think he will wake up?" Santana asked, her voice quiter than they had ever heard before.

"Yes," Brittany nodded her head, smiling and leaning her head on her knee. "He won't leave Quinn on her own. He promised her."

"Remember when Puck beat Finn up for whining about caring for Quinn?" Artie asked with a laugh. "I had to help him fix the tyres on his chair after that."

"What about the time he beat Karofsky up for me?" Kurt smiled. "I never thanked him for that, and he almost got put back in juvie."

"He dated Zizes just so we had enough members to compete for sectionals," Brittany giggled, the glee club groaning at the memory. "It's a good thing she didn't see where Puck and Quinn snook off to after we won."

"Quinn would have a lot less hair," Blaine laughed, remembering the wrestling champion vaguely.

"He took a slushie for me in sophomore year," Rachel smiled, fond of that memory. Even though they had dated each other to make Finn and Quinn jealous, he had taken care of her and had continued to do so ever since. He was like the brother she never had.

"He dressed up as a girl when Sue told us we needed a cross dresser for nationals," Sam remembered with a grin.

"Puck did a lot for us, and we never really thanked him for it," Mercedes sighed regretfully, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"He kept my secret. Puck knew that I was gay right from the start but he was my beard anyway. Even if I did screw up his chances with Quinn after they babysat. He was the one to encourage me to go after Brittany. Told me to take the risk he hadn't with Q. He's a good friend," Santana smiled, reaching out to squeeze his hand.

"He loved me when nobody else did," Quinn added, closing the door behind her. "I called Jake. He's on his way," she smiled, sitting down with a sigh, reaching out for Puck's hand, her thumb finding his pulse instinctively.

"You should go home, get some sleep. You'll feel a lot better," Mercedes advised, rubbing Quinn's arm lightly.

"No, I need to be here when he wakes up," she told her, shaking her head and threading her fingers through Puck's. "And I've already slept. I slept with Puck."

"Oh, we know," Santana smirked, winking at her. "Every time the two of you had sex it caused some sort of trouble."

"Not every time," Quinn denied with a scowl.

"Yes, every time," the glee club told her, laughing at her scowl.

"Whatever," she grumbled, leaning her head on his chest with a sigh. She missed him so much already. It was a mystery how she had lived five years without seeing or talking to him. Now, she couldn't imagine living without him. She loved him.

* * *

><p>"Hey baby, it's just you and me now. Every one has left for dinner. They invited me but I'd rather stay here, so you're going to have to put up with me instead," Quinn murmured, climbing into the bed with him, hugging up to his chest. She wasn't supposed to be in the bed with him, hospital rules and all that, but she really didn't give a damn. There was nothing wrong with sharing a bed with him as far as she could see.<p>

"The food here is awful. It looks like pig food, and tastes like cardboard. You're lucky you don't have them shovelling that crap into your mouth," she teased, looking up at his face with a sigh. "I wish you would talk back to me. Even if it was just to tell me to shut up. Even if you told me to get out and to stay away from you, it would be worth it to hear your voice and know you're ok."

Puck didn't respond to her. Not that she had expected him to, really.

"When you asked me to do this with you, I didn't think much of it. I thought it would be easy. Pretend to be your fiancé for a few weeks and then life would go back to normal. I didn't think we would be friends. I didn't think these feelings would come back, but then again, maybe they never really left. If they had gone away, I wouldn't have agreed to this in the first place, would I? I think maybe my relationships have been failing because they're not you. They don't drive me crazy, to the point where I want to strangle them. Or at least not the way you do. You infuriate me and I'd love to strangle you sometimes, but the difference is I'd kiss you after. They don't know who I am, not really. Not like you do. You know everything about me, and you still love me for it. I love you, too, Noah. I love every bit of you, too. I need you, I know that now. I need you, so please come back to me. Don't leave me here alone. If you want to leave, take me with you. I'll go anywhere you want, just please come back to me," Quinn begged, tears running down her cheeks, hitting his chest lightly in little splashes here and there.

"Please, please, please," she pleaded, holding his hand to her cheek. "I love you, Puck. Please come back, please come back and let me love you."

"I don't want anyone else. Not Sam, or Joe, or my professor, or Biff, or Jason. I don't want any of my distractions. I want you. I need you. Nobody else matters to me. You have my heart, you've always had it. Please," she sobbed, closing her eyes and letting the tears fall.

She was so absorbed in the pain she felt at the possibility of losing him that she almost didn't feel his finger twitch against her lip. Almost.

"Puck? Baby, did you do that?!" Quinn sobbed, feeling his little finger twitching again. "If you can hear me, move your hand baby, please," she begged, her heart beating quickly in her chest. Was this it? Was Puck coming back?

His finger was still for a long moment and she had almost given up hope, when his wrist jerked, his hand moving against her cheek like she had asked.

Quinn let out a happy sob and crushed her lips to his, kissing him hard before calling for the nurses, happy tears streaming down her face and he moved his other hand, his fingers stretching as if reaching out for her.

"I knew you wouldn't leave me here alone," she sobbed in relief, letting the nurses push her aside as they busied themselves with Puck, checking his vitals and removing the tube that had been breathing for him from his throat, Puck coughing and groaning, his eyes opening slowly, flinching away from the bright light.

"What is your name?" A nurse asked, shining a light in Puck's eyes, offering Quinn a soft smile.

"Noah Puckerman," Puck mumbled, Quinn sobbing at hearing his voice, longing to grab him and never let go.

"How old are you?" She asked, another nurse checking his blood pressure.

"Twenty six," he breathed, his voice husky and croaky, and Quinn had never heard a better sound.

"What happened to you?" She asked lastly, writing notes on the clipboard she held.

"Car accident," he muttered, wishing they would leave him be. "Quinn," he croaked, forcing his eyes open, "where's Quinn?"

"I'm right here, Puck," Quinn smiled through her tears, her heart warming as he forced his head to turn towards her, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

"Who is Quinn?" The nurse asked, satisfied he didn't have any memory problems.

"Mine," he mumbled. "S'mine."

"Every thing looks fine. His vitals are good, blood pressure is perfect. He's going to be just fine," the nurse told Quinn, squeezing her arm with a smile before leaving the room.

Quinn barely waited until the door had closed before lunging at Puck, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tight to her, crying in pure relied. He was going to be ok. He was ok.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed into his neck, feeling his hand move to her back, returning the hug as best he could.

"S'not your fault," he mumbled, kissing her temple.

"I never should've shut you out like that. I was scared, and I'm so sorry. I love you, Puck. I love you, and I can't lose you again," she breathed, pulling back to hold his face to hers, feeling his breath on her lips.

"I know. I heard you," he smiled sleepily, her tears dripping onto his cheeks. It felt so good to feel her again.

"You heard me?" She asked, her eyes growing wide as he nodded.

"I tried to talk back to you but you couldn't hear me, and my hands wouldn't move," he mumbled, closing his eyes for a moment. "I'm not mad at you."

"I want to be with you, Puck. I want to love you, and be loved by you, for as long as you'll take me. I love you," she whispered, pausing before leaning in and kissing him, treasuring the feeling of his lips puckering against hers to kiss her back. "I love you," she breathed, kissing him again, stroking her tongue along his lip, begging for entry. She wanted to taste him, and feel him, and be loved by him.

"I love you, too," he mumbled, lifting his hand to tangle his fingers in her hair as they kissed again, letting her tongue into his mouth, her whole body pressing against him as she attempted to devour his mouth. Warmth spread through both their bodies, their skin tingling with every brush of her hand down his arm or his fingers along her jaw.

Quinn was straddling him by this point, clutching his hair with one hand the other guiding his hand to her breast with a moan as he cupped and squeezed the firm flesh, her hips jerking involuntarily against his. He wasn't going to reject her; he needed her too, pulling her closer to taste her lips again, the blonde moaning into his mouth. He wanted to kiss her, touch her, taste her, feel her, but he was so tired.

"Tired," he mumbled against her jaw, Quinn pulling away, nodding but leaning in for one last kiss anyway.

"I love you," Quinn whispered, stroking his cheek lovingly. "Sleep. Everything else can wait."

"I love you, too," Puck managed sleeping, his eyes closing, a sigh leaving his lips.

"Miss Fabray? Visiting hours are up, I'm afraid," a nurse told her, eyeing their position with an arched brow.

"Can't I stay?" Quinn asked, reluctant to leave even more now that he could wake up and see she wasn't here. Something made her feel desperate inside, and she wasn't used to being the desperate one.

"I'm afraid not," she sighed, offering her a sympathetic smile. She knew how devastated the blonde had been and if it were up to her, she'd let her stay but rules were rules.

Quinn nodded and sighed, turning back to Puck and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, telling him she loved him before getting up and grabbing her purse, leaving the room a lot happier than she had entered it. Puck was ok, he would be fine, he knew she was sorry and that she loved him. Maybe things were looking up for her after all.

"Quinn! Is it true?! Is Noah awake?!" Hannah cried as the front door opened, jumping up from where she had been sat on the stairs waiting for Quinn to come home.

The hospital had called a few minutes ago to let them know Puck had woken up, but due to the visiting rule, they had to wait until tomorrow to see him.

Quinn nodded and smiled at her, laughing as the young brunette launched into her arms. "He's fine, Hannah. The doctors say he'll be just fine," she assured her, looking up as Ruth and Maggie came into the hall.

"Did you talk to him?" Hannah asked eagerly, her arms tight around her waist.

"Yes, I was there when he woke up," she smiled, ruffling her hair and tossing her bag aside.

"Will you drive me to see him tomorrow?" Hannah grinned, her eyes lit up like the stars.

"Of course," Quinn promised, smiling and watching the teen run up the stairs.

"Is he really ok?" Ruth asked, her breath catching in her throat, tears in her eyes.

"He's fine. He's just tired," she assured her happily, kicking her shoes off. Maybe now they could all finally relax and stop waiting for the phone to ring with bad news.

"You look pretty happy, and judging from the hickie on your neck I know why," Maggie teased, winking at the blonde.

"I knew he had-" she cut off at their laughter, looking into the mirror and seeing her neck was completely clear. "That was cruel," she accused, crossing her arms.

"The two of you are insatiable," Ruth sighed, shaking her head and heading upstairs for a bath to relax a little. She was so relieved that her son was ok.

"I hope you managed to close the door first," Maggie smirked, heading into the kitchen, Quinn following.

"We didn't have sex," she mumbled, blushing and keeping her eyes on the floor. She shouldn't even be talking about this with his grandmother.

"Well, thank the Lord for small mercies," she laughed, getting two glasses and pouring a little wine into each, offering one to Quinn.

"Mmm, no thank you. Alcohol and I don't mix well," Quinn smiled, shaking her head and finding her phone, sending a mass message to everyone that Puck was ok.

"Don't deny a dying woman a drink, child. Didn't your mother teach you that?" Maggie chuckled, sipping her wine happily. It felt like a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

"The only thing my mother taught me was how stay a size zero," Quinn mumbled, raising the glass to her lip as and taking a long gulp of the rich red liquid.

"Sticks and bones are no good, sweetheart. Your body is beautiful, and my grandson certainly thinks so too," Maggie grinned, Quinn almost choking on her wine.

"I'm going to bed, I'm not talking about my sex life with you," Quinn sighed, shaking her head with a laugh and draining what was left of the alcohol.

"You two best make me a great grandbaby soon," Maggie called after her, laughing happily. Quinn was too easy to wind up.

That night Quinn fell asleep feeling loved, and wanted. She didn't have to hide her feelings any longer, and she felt free, and ready to start her life with Puck.

* * *

><p>"Quinn! We're leaving for the hospital! Are you coming?!" Hannah yelled through the bedroom door, hammering on it loudly.<p>

"I'll meet you there later on!" Quinn called, distracted by her mascara wand. She wanted to look good for Puck. She had no doubt she looked like a mess these past few days, and the Fabray part of her told her to clean herself up and look presentable.

"Ok!" Hannah grinned, bounding down the stairs.

Quinn smiled to herself and concentrated on pinning up her hair, humming absently. She felt great, happy, loved, free. It was a good day. Maybe God didn't hate her after all.

She got up from her dresser and slipped into her heels, grabbing her purse before heading downstairs. Today was the first day of the rest of her life.

* * *

><p>"Who are these for?" The florist, Christina, asked with warm smile, arranging the bouquet Quinn had asked for.<p>

"My fiancé," Quinn smiled, toying with one of the flowers absently. It wasn't a lie. Technically, he was her fiancé, and she did have the ring on her finger to prove it.

Azalea, meaning for Puck to take care of himself for her. Red Camellia for the flame he lit in her heart. White carnations for pure love. Gloxinia for love at first sight and primroses, because she couldn't live without him anymore.

"That's so sweet. I hope everything goes well for you," Christina smiled, wrapping the flowers up in dotted paper. "Do you want to write something on the card?"

Quinn nodded and took the card, puzzling for a long moment over what to write before deciding to keep it simple, scribbling a message quickly and handing it back to her along with a handful of notes. She didn't really care how much they costed anyway. "Thank you," Quinn smiled, taking the flowers and leaving the store, getting into her car and starting the engine. Her phone was ringing, but she ignored it. They didn't need anymore car accidents in this family.

She pulled up in the parking lot and headed into the hospital, flowers in her arms as she took the elevator up to Puck's ward, the receptionist greeting her warmly as she signed in.

"You look good, Miss Fabray," she smiled, her nametag reading Julia.

"Thank you, Julia. How is he?" She asked, signing her name in the visitors log.

"Doing better. He's asked for you a few times," Julia told her, storing the log back into her drawer. "Have a great day."

"You too," Quinn smiled before heading down the hall, her heels clicking against the linoleum flooring as she made her way to Puck's room, smiling at a little girl who waved at her.

Quinn froze as she reached Puck's room, seeing through the window that Puck wasn't alone in there. Dianna was in there with him, much too close to Puck for her liking. She was about to open the door when Dianna kissed him, Quinn's smile dropping completely off her face when he didn't push her away.

She turned on her heel and headed quickly down the hall, tossing aside the flowers, tears blurring her vision as she got into the car, slamming the door and starting the engine, her tyres squealing in protest against the tarmac as she sped out of the parking lot, the tears running down her cheeks turned black from her mascara.

She was wrong.

There was no God. Not for her, anyway.

_ But when you call me 'baby', I know I'm not the only one._

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><p><em><strong>You didn't think it would be that easy for them, did you?;) Sorry this chapter is kind of rubbish, and a fair bit shorter than usual, I hit writers block for a while. Also, I've just checked instagram to see that the actress who played the mistress in the I'm Not The Only One video has liked my post, and a selfie haha, so hopefully Dianna might see it too? A girl can dream, right?<strong>_

_**Please review, and I hope you have a great day :)**_

_**Song lyrics used: Sam Smith- I'm Not The Only One**_


	9. Oh, you're in my veins

_**I don't really have anything interesting to say right now because I'm suffering from Nashville withdrawals. Whose idea was it to leave Javery on that cliffhanger, hm? And don't get me started on Rayna and Deacon. Luke can leave. Most of you probably have no idea what I'm talking about so I'm going to shut up now. **_

_**A huge, massive, gigantic thank you to readbetweenthesigns for your review on the last chapter. It made me feel a whole lot better after a crappy day, and its still strange to me that you actually read this because I've loved your work for so long now. FinchelQuick34, your reviews make me so happy, I love you.**_

_**Lastly, I usually welcome criticism; it helps me improve as a writer but to the guest that found it appropriate to write that 'Quinn is gay and just desperate for Puck's dick', I hope you know that there are other fanfictions better suited to your shipping needs. Also, doesn't wanting dick kind of defy the purpose of being gay? Just a thought. This is a QUICK fiction, not faberry, so if you don't like the pairing, please just politely close the tab, and move onto a fiction better tailored to your needs instead of commenting crude things about MY otp. Thank you. **_

_**To those of you here for Quick, please enjoy :)**_

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><p><em> How did we get here?<em>

_When I used to know you so well.. _

Quinn's car sped down the streets, black tears running down her cheeks far too fast for her to stop them. Her car made a violent jerking sound as she slammed into a parking space, getting out and heading into the convenience store, making her way straight to the alcohol and grabbing a bottle of whiskey, unscrewing the cap and taking a long gulp as she headed for the lighter fluid, grabbing two cans, the bottle wedged between her arm and her breasts. If the store clerk found it strange that she was crying and buying alcohol and lighter fluid, he didn't say anything. Quinn tugged twenty dollars out of her bra and slammed it down on the counter, grabbing her things and heading back to her car, tossing them into the passenger seat. She felt crazy, unhinged, uncontrollable, and maybe she was. This was what she got for opening herself up to love again. Shot down and pushed aside in favour of a tacky blonde slut who resembled her slightly. Quinn grabbed the bottle of whiskey and took another long gulp, her cheeks stained with black trails, looking every bit as messed up as she felt. Fuck Puck, fuck God, fuck love, fuck feelings.

The house was empty, so she grabbed her bottle and headed straight upstairs, gulping it down as she went, hoping it would numb her. Numbness was good. Nobody could hurt her or break her heart if she didn't feel anything. But she did. She loved Puck, so much that it hurt, and she had been pushed aside in favour of a cheap blonde slut who resembled her slightly. She hadn't wanted to open herself up, because this was what happened. Love never worked out for women like her. Not ever. A loud, painful sob left her lips as she crumpled to her knees, clutching her chest as she cried. It hurt. Everything hurt so badly. She just wanted to sleep. To sleep every thing away. Or at least drink it away, like a true Fabray. Quinn slumped forward, burying her face in her arms as she cried, the only comfort she had coming from the almost empty bottle beside her.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you're ok, Noah? The doctors said you should have stayed for another day, at least," Ruth frowned as she pulled up, looking up into the mirror at her son who was sat in the backseat with Hannah.<p>

"I'm fine, mom. I feel fine. The only thing I was doing in that hospital was staring at a blank wall," Puck sighed, using his crutches to pull himself out of the car. Metal had sliced his thigh open during the accident, so he had to use the metal sticks for a few weeks to let his leg heal.

"Lets get you inside, then. I'm sure Quinn will be happy to see you," Maggie smiled, walking slowly alongside him as he hobbled towards the porch.

"Yeah," he muttered, heading into the house. In all honesty, he was worried about Quinn. She hadn't come to visit him at all today, even though his nurse had told him she'd sat by his bed every hour since the accident. He knew she had been to the hospital, as his nurse had brought him the flowers she'd left for him. It confused him why she hadn't come to see him.

"Do you wanna watch a movie?" Hannah asked, hovering by his side, her hands clasped under her chin.

"No, thanks Hannah. I just wanna sleep in my own bed again," he smiled, ruffling her hair before hauling himself slowly up the stairs, more than ready to have his own bed again.

The sight he found when he reached the doorway to his and Quinn's room shocked him for a moment, blinking a few times to make sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. Quinn was slumped on the carpet, her face in her arms, clearly fast asleep, the black smears on her cheeks telling him she had cried herself to sleep. Or drunk herself to sleep, judging by the empty bottle of whiskey beside her unconscious body.

"Quinn," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before calling for his mom. What with his leg, he couldn't just bend down to lift her up, no matter how much he wanted to.

"What's up, Noah?" Ruth asked, slightly out of breath. She had ran up the stairs, thinking he had fallen or hurt himself.

"I need you to help me get Quinn up," he told her over his shoulder, trying his best to bend over, wincing in pain.

"What happened?" She asked, dropping to her knees to check Quinn's pulse.

"I don't know. I found her like this," he admitted, watching his mom scoop the blonde up and lay her on the bed.

"Has she been drinking?" Ruth asked, her eyes wide at the smell of alcohol on the blonde's breath. They all knew she didn't drink much.

"I guess so," he muttered, kicking the bottle with his foot. "Maybe her parents called."

"Hmm, you call me when she wakes up," she sighed, checking Quinn's eyes before shaking her head and heading downstairs.

Puck shifted over to the bed and sat down heavily, leaning over Quinn's torso, tapping her cheek lightly. "Wake up, babe," he murmured, brushing his thumb over her lip as she simply groaned in response, turning her face away from his touch.

He sighed and lifted her feet, knocking her heels off her feet and shifting her body so he could cover her up, kicking his own shoes off before lying down beside her, trying to wipe away the black streaks her tears had made, but only making them worse. He wondered if that's what he always did, if he made things worse for her when trying to help her.

"I love you," Puck murmured softly, pressing a gentle kiss to her whiskey flavoured lips, drawing her body up close to his with a sigh. Quinn didn't reply, her body pressed tight against him.

He hoped things would be ok for them, now.

* * *

><p>Quinn blinked her eyes open slowly, feeling a warm body beneath her. She prayed to God she hadn't done something stupid. Looking up, she was partly relieved to see Puck's face, seeing she had been sleeping on his chest. She was only partly relieved though, as the rest of her was still hurt and angry with him. His arms were tight around her, as if he needed her, like he couldn't bear to let her go. How ironic. She wondered if she should get up and pack her things, or if she should let it go and be with him, or if she should keep up the pretence of being his fiancé around his family, and then be cold when they were alone together. It would probably be best for them all if she left, but she couldn't. This was a home, and she'd never had one before. Not a real one, with a family to love her too.<p>

"Are you ok?" Puck asked, feeling her move in his arms, looking down to see she was watching him, an unreadable look on her face.

"I'm fine," Quinn smiled, closing her eyes with a sigh and turning her face into his chest. Decision made. She would try to forgive him; she needed him. "Go back to sleep."

"Do you want to tell me why you drank so much?" He asked, ignoring her request. He was worried about her, and he didn't want to watch her destroy herself with alcohol.

"I was just taking the edge off. It's fine," she mumbled, keeping her eyes shut. It wasn't a lie, she had taken the edge off. A lot.

"And what caused this edge?" He murmured, tucking her hair behind her ear, the golden strands soft against his skin.

"Just stress. It doesn't matter, let's just sleep," she sighed, kissing his lips lightly before settling back down against his chest.

"I'm here for you, you know that, right?" He asked, turning on his side to face her.

"Yes," she breathed as he pulled her close, hugging him back as he held her close.

"Just you and me," he mumbled into her hair, savouring the feeling of having her in his arms like this again.

"Just you and me," she whispered, staring into space as she stroked through his hair lightly. "Just you and me."

* * *

><p>"What's Easter?" Hannah asked from her position sat on the edge of the breakfast bar, peeling the foil off of her Easter egg.<p>

"Easter is celebrating the death of Jesus, and then he comes back to life, right Q?" Puck asked, the blonde nodding and smiling.

Quinn loved Easter, she always had. Sitting in church and listening to the resurrection story had been one of her favourite things. "Yes. We celebrate the sacrifice he made for us."

"What does chocolate have to do with it?" Hannah frowned, breaking off pieces of chocolate and dropping them into her mouth.

"I'm not sure, actually. I think it has something to do with Lent, and how we give up something we love," Quinn shrugged, drying up her hands.

"It's because businessmen are greedy pigs and use Easter to sell shit," Puck smirked, dodging the slap Quinn aimed his way. Something still seemed not quite right with her but he didn't know what, yet.

"Did you give Puck up for Lent?" Hannah wondered, licking melted chocolate off of her fingers.

"No," Quinn laughed, shaking her head, her smile mostly false. She hadn't given Puck up, as God had taken him from her. She didn't even know why she was talking about Jesus when she wasn't so sure if she was a Christian anymore.

"Can we get some more Easter eggs?" Hannah asked, grinning at Quinn. Her mom was off working her new job at the doctor's office, and Maggie was asleep, leaving the three free to do as they wished.

"Sure," Puck nodded, more than ready to get out of the house.

"Go ahead, I think I'm going to stay here and take a nap," Quinn smiled, not meeting Puck's eyes as she put the clean plates away. In truth, she didn't really want to be with him out of this house. They had a habit of running into Dianna, and she didn't fancy being arrested for assault just yet.

"Nice try, Fabray. If I'm going, you're going," Puck told her, pointing to the door which his sister had ran out of.

"Fine," she sighed, closing the cupboard and heading for the door, pausing when he took hold of her arm.

"Is every thing ok?" He asked, studying her eyes, catching a flicker of sadness before she smiled brightly, nodding her head.

"Yes, let's go," she smiled, stretching up to kiss him quickly before she headed after his sister, car keys in hand.

Something was up with her, he could feel it, and he was going to find out what it was, even if it killed him. The sadness in her eyes was killing him inside, anyway.

* * *

><p>"How many can we get?" Hannah asked as they stood before the aisle stacked full of Easter eggs, looking to Quinn with a grin.<p>

"How about you stick to two or three for now, ok?" Quinn asked with a laugh, tossing one into the cart for herself.

"Fine," she sighed, picking three from the shelves and dropping them in the cart. "Do you want one, Noah?"

Puck frowned for a moment before nodding, grabbing one and tossing it into the cart. He was trying to come up with a theory as to what was wrong with Quinn. It was Easter after all, so maybe her parents had called, or she was feeling guilty about not being at church this week. He honestly had no idea. He knew everything about Quinn, but when she closed off, it was impossible to even catch a glimpse at what she was thinking or feeling.

"You're not sleep walking, are you?" Quinn teased, nudging him as she pushed the cart down the aisle, smiling at the little girls arguing over the chocolate bunnies. She would like to have another baby one day, a daughter, someone she could raise to not fall into the same traps of self hatred that she had. But then again, maybe she would be a terrible mother. Beth had cried every time she held her when they babysat, so maybe God intended for her to never be a mother, despite how much she wanted to be one. Again, God really did hate her.

"No, just thinking," he shrugged, pressing a kiss to her forehead, feeling her smile tugging at her cheeks.

"That's a first," a voice smirked from behind them. "Don't hurt yourself, big boy."

"Santana," he sighed, rolling his eyes and turning to see Santana, Rachel and Kurt behind them.

"How are you?" Rachel asked, reaching out for a hug from him, having missed him so much.

"I'm good. I'm still here, so it counts for something, right?" He grinned, winking at Quinn who rolled her eyes at him.

"Stupid idiot," Santana mumbled, hugging him tight, pressing her face into his chest. Puck had been her best friend for years, and he had kept her secret, despite the amount of times it came between him and Quinn.

"I missed you too, Satan," Puck smiled, rubbing her back softly, Quinn smiling a teary smile at them.

"And how are you, Q?" Kurt asked the blonde, arching his brow at her, detecting something wasn't quite right with her. There was just something, maybe the forced enthusiasm in her voice, or the way she smiled so big it looked like it was hurting her face. Yes, something was definitely up.

"I'm great," Quinn smiled brightly, grabbing a bag of chocolate coins so she didn't have to meet his eyes. She was weak, she knew that. She shouldn't have let Puck have her, she should have left, or at least yelled at him. But she couldn't risk losing him, so she kept it inside. Maybe she was like Judy than she thought.

"Quinn, come take a walk with me. Let these three catch up," Rachel suggested, holding her hand out to Quinn who shot her a wary look before sighing and nodding.

"I'll be right back," Quinn mumbled, leaning over to claim a kiss from Puck. She couldn't help it; she needed him.

"I love you," Puck murmured, stroking her cheek and kissing her again, sucking her bottom lip as his other hand found its way to her ass, squeezing as she licked over his top lip.

"I love you, too," she breathed before heading off with Rachel.

"So do you want to tell me what's going on? You have Puck back, you're together judging by the kissing, so why are your eyes so sad?" Rachel asked, leading her down through the aisles towards the doors.

"There's nothing wrong. I'm just a little tired and overwhelmed," Quinn told her, sighing in relief as the cool air hit her face. She could breathe again.

"Don't lie to me, Quinn. I know when you're lying, little miss 'I got pregnant in the hot tub'," Rachel smirked, nudging her and leaning against the wall.

"It's nothing," she muttered, squinting and looking out at the parking lot. She swore she had just seen that bitch's blonde head out there amongst the-

Bingo.

"Quinn! Where are you going?!" Rachel called, hurrying after Quinn who suddenly turned and stalked across the parking lot, head bitch scowl firmly in place.

Quinn ignored her, heading straight for Dianna, slapping her hard across the face, the blonde stumbling and grabbing onto her car to keep upright.

"Quinn!" Rachel yelled, horrified, scandalized.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Dianna demanded, clutching her stinging cheek.

"You know exactly what that was for. Stay away from him," Quinn spat, anger bubbling up inside her. She wanted to rip her apart and wipe that smirk off her lips.

"Oh, sweetie. Did he tell you? It was only a matter of time before he left you. The fancy clothes and the big car don't change what you are. A cheap, tacky little whore who got knocked up at sixteen with his kid. He doesn't love you, he loves the kid you gave him. You're nothing," Dianna smiled sweetly, attempting to push past her.

Rachel watched in horror as Quinn snapped, lunging at the blonde and tackling her to the floor, punching her hard in the face. Dianna grabbed at Quinn's hair and yanked hard, distracting her long enough to fight her off and slap her hard. Quinn wasn't down for long, her anger making her unstoppable as she fought back, fists flying between the pair.

"Quinn!" Santana called, running over to help Rachel haul her off of Dianna, struggling to keep her back.

"If you touch him again, I swear to God I will kill you!" Quinn screamed at the blonde who was helped up by a stranger who had been watching them.

"You're nothing. Soon enough he'll realise that and you'll be all alone," Dianna hissed, wiping away the blood streaming from her nose.

Quinn screamed in fury and tried to attack her again, Santana grunting as she held her tighter to keep her back, Rachel keeping his arms pinned down.

"Walk away, puta, before I let go of her," Santana threatened, knowing she wouldn't be able to keep her back for long.

Dianna wisely took the suggestion, walking away before Quinn had a change to slice her face off.

"Get off me," Quinn snapped, shrugging the two girls off and punching the wall in frustration, Rachel and Santana watching in shock. They hadn't seen her like this before. Hysterical crying, yes. Bad hair dye jobs, yes. Lighting pianos on fire, yes. Getting into fights and punching walls, no.

"Sit down," Santana ordered, tugging her down to sit on the warm tarmac, finding a baby wipe in her purse to wipe at Quinn's bleeding knuckles with.

"What was that all about?" Rachel asked, tilting her chin to examine her face, smiling slightly to see Quinn's face was unmarked from the fight. She had definitely won the fight, anyway.

"Puck kissed her. He chose her."

* * *

><p>"What is she doing out there?" Puck asked, watching Quinn from the kitchen window. She hadn't spoken a word to him since they got back from the supermarket, and wouldn't explain why her knuckles were battered and bleeding.<p>

"She lit a fire," Hannah shrugged, stuffing chocolate into her mouth. "It's pretty."

"She lit a fire?!" He asked, his eyes growing wide, grabbing the fire extinguisher and heading out into the dark garden, golden flames making Quinn's body look like that of an angel. His angel.

Quinn didn't even move as he approached her, her eyes locked on the flames before her. At least she'd lit a small fire, not a damn inferno. He hadn't known what to expect from her. Something was seriously screwing with her head.

"What's with the fire?" Puck asked, setting the extinguisher down. He didn't need it.

"To burn things," Quinn replied, something clasped in her fist.

"What are you burning?" He asked, looking at her face, watching the flames dance in her eyes as she slowly turned her head to look at him.

"This," she whispered, opening her fist to show him the golden cross nestled in her palm before she held it out, letting the golden chain slip through her fingers, the flames swallowing up the gold.

Puck stared at her in horror, looking to the flames and then back to her.

"Why did you do that?" He frowned, staring into her troubled eyes, wanting to hold her and make everything better for her.

"God abandoned me. He took everything from me. I don't believe anymore," she breathed, crossing her arms, hugging herself tight. God had taken her family, her popularity, her friends, Finn, her body, her happiness, her feelings, her baby, her soul mate. She had nothing left to give him.

Puck was silent for a long moment before taking hold of her hands, pulling her into his arms.

"I love you," he murmured, stroking through her long hair, pressing his lips to her forehead. "You'll always have me."

"I love you, too," Quinn whispered, letting out a shaky breath as he held her.

The only thing was she wouldn't always have him. The things she loved always slipped away from her.

* * *

><p>"Mmm, are you awake?" Puck asked, pressing kisses to her neck, feeling the moan in her throat before it left her lips.<p>

"Yes," Quinn breathed, turning over to face him, stroking her fingers over his chest, the lingering water droplets from his shower glistening on his tan skin. She wanted to taste them, to lick them up, just like she had on the boat as they made out.

Puck smiled in response and tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her in for a greedy kiss, her lips soft and supple against his as she kissed him back, her small hand stroking his jaw absently. She moaned as he stroked his tongue along her lip, parting them eagerly to accept his tongue with a moan. It felt too good to kiss him, sparks rushing through her body, making her eager to feel him, love him, have him. So she had no arguments whatsoever as he rolled on top of her, their kisses deepening as she clutched at his hair.

"I love you," he mumbled, leaving her lips to kiss and nip at her neck, his tongue seeking out her pulse and falling on it, suckling greedily as she sighed his name, her eyes rolling back into her head with a moan.

"I love you, too," she moaned, licking her lips as he ran his fingers up the inside of her thigh, her shorts separating his fingers from her heat.

Quinn pushed him onto his back and straddled him, careful of his thigh, falling forward to crush her lips greedily to his, kissing him passionately as she tugged her tank top up and off. Puck stared up at her like she was an angel, his fingers finding and snapping the clasp of her bra, the cups falling away from her breasts, Quinn tossing the garment aside carelessly, tasting his lips again. His bare skin against hers felt amazing, and she found herself moaning as she rubbed her breasts against his chest, placing hot open mouthed kisses down his skin, licking up the water drops as she went.

Puck rolled onto her again, cupping the firm globes of her breasts and licking along the smooth swell of them, circling her nipple before sucking on it, his fingers plucking at her other nipple, giving it the same treatment, Quinn moaning and arching her back, pressing her breast further into his mouth, her fingers holding onto his hair.

"Yes," she sighed, feeling herself growing wet for him, parting her legs and moaning loudly as she felt his obvious hard on press against her, grinding up against it desperately, moan after moan leaving her lips.

"Mmm," he groaned, grinding his hips against hers as she claimed his lips again, his fingers finding the waistband of her tiny shorts and starting to draw them down her thighs, smirking at what he found. "No panties, Fabray?"

"Don't need 'em," she panted, closing her eyes with a moan as he tugged the shorts down her smooth, sexy legs, his lips pressing a kiss to her thigh.

"You're so beautiful," he mumbled, licking his lips as he roamed his eyes over her naked body, lingering on the gentle swell of her breasts, the curve of her hips, that amazing ass of hers. And her eyes, shining with love and lust for him. He loved this woman more than anything.

"I need you," she whimpered, and it was true, she really did need him. In every sense possible.

Puck kissed her again and smoothed his hands up her arms, locking their fingers together either side of her head. He reached blindly for a condom, freezing when he felt something beneath her pillow, pulling it out to find an opened bottle of vodka. Quinn's eyes were closed, her teeth chewing on her lip, waiting for him to touch her again. Her eyes grew wide when she opened them to see he had found her bottle of vodka.

"What is this?" Puck asked, his voice carefully controlled as he held the bottle up for her to see, all thoughts of sex forgotten.

"I don't know," Quinn breathed, swallowing hard. "I didn't know it was there."

"You were drunk this morning when I came home from the hospital, you've been off day, you won't tell me how you hurt yourself, you're acting strange and you have vodka hidden under your pillow. Is there something you want to tell me?" He demanded, getting up off her, keeping the bottle out of her reach.

"I don't have a drinking problem. That's not what this is," she told him, knowing what he was thinking about her, holding the sheets tight to her breasts. She felt exposed now, and she wished she still had her clothes on.

"Of course you don't," he replied sarcastically. "So why don't you tell me what's going on with you, then?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she snapped, pulling on a t-shirt from the floor and getting out of bed, pulling her shorts back on quickly.

"I'm not going to let you drink yourself away because of your parents," he scowled, shaking his head and tossing the bottle into the trash, Quinn simply staring at him.

"What do my parents have to do with this?" She laughed, looking at him like he'd grown two heads, shaking her head at him.

"Everything. It's Easter, you burnt your necklace, you're drinking. Did they call you last night when I was away? Have they done something I don't know?" He asked, arching his brow at her like she had done many a time to him. Her family had hurt her enough in the past, it wouldn't surprise him if they had done something else to hurt her.

"Fuck you," she spat, wishing she'd never told him so much about her, about her past and her family. She hated him. In that moment, she hated everything about him.

"What happened to make you act like this?!" He demanded, blocking her exit. They were talking about this now, not later, not tomorrow. Now.

"You cheated on me!" She screamed, finally admitting it. "I told you I loved you, I told you I wanted to be with you! I let you in and you chose her!"

Puck stared at her for a long moment, sighing and shaking his head. She had it all wrong.

"So no, I didn't get drunk because of my parents. I didn't beat that bitch up because of my parents. I saw you. I saw the two of you. This time it wasn't my parents that hurt me. It was you."

_But how did we get here?__  
><em>

_I think I know._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Shit just got real. Sort of. I don't know, I just like saying that. Thank you for reading, please review and have a wonderful day:-)<em>**

**_*Quinn used the lighter fluid to set the fire she burnt her necklace with in case you wondered _**

**_Song lyrics used: Paramore (Twilight Soundtrack): Decode_**

**_I spent the whole day watching twilight because I miss it sigh, so I had to use a song from the soundtrack, which is amazing, even if you don't like the film. _**


	10. And I cannot get you out

_**Thank you to FinchelQuick34, readbetweenthesigns, guest, Andsoitis, troyella2468, quinnbelles, diannaxagron, vale1103, k4yz and Zanabananaa for the sweet reviews. It means more than you know.**_

**_And to the person who reviewed yet again about Quick, would you like to explain how Puck took advantage of Quinn? She was upset and thought she was fat, yes, and Puck was there for her. He didn't take advantage of her; he was there for her because he loves her. It's not like he went to her house and said "oh hey you look upset, let's go upstairs and have sex. Good plan?". If you actually watch the clip of them, it doesn't actually show her drink the wine cooler he handed her. In fact, she doesn't even take it from him. Quinn has said many times, if you actually listen to her instead of assuming things, that she has 'no regrets' about the night they made Beth. If the pairing offends you so much, please, just leave my story. I don't enjoy your reviews, and if you have so much to say about them, sign in so I can see who it is I'm replying to, or better yet, tweet me (taylorssalgron) and see what the other Quick fans have to say to you about them. _**

**_Also, if the only reason you're reading this is for the smut, may I suggest another website entirely if that's what you're looking for?_**

**_AND DID YOU GUYS SEE THE ALBUM CLUE FROM TAYLOR?! THINGS ARE HAPPENING ON THE 18TH AND I MIGHT PASS OUT!_**

**_Sorry for the ranting. Please enjoy :)_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own anything! _**

**_*A lot of M content, so you've been warned   
><em>**

* * *

><p><em>I remember that fight, 2:30 am <em>

_When everything was slipping right out of our hands.._

"Quinn, I promise I can explain everything. It wasn't what it looked like. I wouldn't do that to you, I couldn't ever bring myself to hurt you like that. Not ever," Puck told her softly, taking hold of her hands, hating the way her tears shone in her eyes.

"It looked like you were pretty damn happy with her tongue down your throat! Don't you dare touch me!" Quinn shouted, pushing his hands away from her, a single tear spilling down her cheek.

"I didn't know she was going to try that, Q! One minute we were talking about-" he cut off quickly, Quinn's eyes narrowing. "Talking about stuff, and then she was kissing me."

"What were you talking about with her?" She whispered, wiping her cheek and staring up at him.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is I didn't cheat on you," he argued, reaching for her again. He didn't want to make her cry, to see her hurting because of him. They had been through so much these past few weeks, and he had finally found the Quinn he had seen the night they made Beth. The Quinn he was so desperately in love with. He loved her, more now than he ever had, because he knew she loved him too. She wouldn't be so upset if she didn't love him. They could work this out. It was a misunderstanding, that's all.

"Tell me what you were talking about with her!" She screamed, tears spilling down her cheeks. She knew she had probably just woken up everyone else in the house, but she didn't care. She needed to know.

"The past, things that don't matter anymore. She wanted us to get back together, and I told her no," he sighed, reaching out to wipe away her tears. He couldn't stand it when she cried.

"That's not everything. You're not telling me everything," she argued, hating the warmth she felt because of his touch. "Don't lie to me."

"Fine. She offered to sleep with me, like an affair that you wouldn't ever know about," he admitted, closing his eyes at the pain filled sob that left her lips. Dianna's offer hadn't even gotten a second thought from him. Why would he want someone other than Quinn? "It wasn't even an option for me, Quinn. Even if we weren't going to be together, I wouldn't have turned to her and deep down you know that."

Quinn closed her eyes for a long moment, a sob bubbling up in her throat and forcing its way out of her mouth, hot tears running down her cheeks. She had very nearly slept with him. If he hadn't found that bottle, she would have. And now she had to hear that someone else was offering herself up to him. Someone he had admitted to her that he had loved.

"How do I know that? How do I know that after we had slept together like we very nearly did, that you wouldn't leave our bed and climb into hers? Jason did. He told me he loved me, and he cheated on me so how do I know you wouldn't?" Quinn sniffed, opening her eyes to look up at him. She couldn't even properly put her emotions into thoughts, let alone words. All she knew was it hurt.

"Because I'm not a cheater," Puck answered simply. "And because you're the only woman I want. You know you've always been the one to me."

"The names Rachel, Santana, Lauren, Shelby, Kitty and Dianna come to mind," she snapped harshly, crossing her arms tight across his chest.

"If you're going to play that game, the names Finn, Sam, Joe, your professor, Santana, Biff and Jason come to mind," he replied, rolling his eyes at her. She always tried to bring up the past. They had both made mistakes, so he didn't see why she needed to bring it up.

"Were distractions because I couldn't have you! I used them to make you jealous, to make you want me! I didn't love them," she argued, hands firmly on her hips to try to keep some sort of control over this.

"And what do you think they were to me, huh?" He asked, sitting down heavily on the bed, letting his crutches fall to the floor. He was too tired to pick them up. Too tired for any of this.

"You know I wanted you in senior year, but you chose Shelby over me. Told me you would rather raw dog a beehive than be with me again. You loved her, I know you did," she spat. "She could give you what I couldn't anymore. Our daughter. Do you know how much it hurt to hear the whispers, to hear the 'poor Quinn. Her baby's daddy chose her baby's new mommy over her'. It killed me to see you with her!"

"Yeah? Well how do you think I felt to come back from juvie to find out that you were engaged to trouty mouth? Don't you think that killed me, too? I'd lost my baby and you that year. I didn't love Shelby, I love Beth and through her I got to have our daughter again. There was never anything there," he told her honestly, because it was true. He didn't love Shelby. She actually scared him a little.

"Then why didn't you want me?" She sobbed, her face crumpling. "You shot me down and I wanted you. I needed you."

"You didn't want me, you wanted a baby from me. I knew that, and I didn't want to be your play thing again," he snapped back, finding a way out of his shorts, Quinn's eyes darting down to between his legs for a moment before she looked back to his eyes.

"I did want a baby, but I wanted you too. I wanted to be a family with you, like we should have been. You weren't my play thing. And what about Santana? We could have been together when I was pregnant, after we babysat, I was going to choose you but you sexted her instead," she reminded him with a scowl. They were going off course, but maybe they needed to get everything out there.

"God, Santana sent those sexts because I was her beard, ok? She thought that you and I would get together and she would lose her cover. I didn't mean any of that sex shark rubbish, I was trying to help Santana out," he confessed with a loud sigh. It hadn't been his secret to tell at the time, and he had to help Santana out. She was like his sister, and he knew how scared she was of coming out of the closet. Quinn had been a huge loss for that, and it sucked.

Quinn was lost for words for a long moment before she closed her eyes, tears still falling as she sat down heavily beside him, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Where do we go from here?" Puck asked finally, looking over at her.

They could have been together years ago, if they had just talked about things instead of hiding behind walls put up to protect themselves.

"I don't know," Quinn whispered, resting her head in her knees.

"I uh, I'm gonna take the couch. Give you some space," he muttered, pushing up from the bed. He didn't want to be apart from her, but he knew she needed time to work through her feelings.

Quinn shook her head frantically, grabbing his hand. "Don't leave me," she whispered, a lump of emotion settling itself in her throat, causing her voice to break.

She was hurt, and angry, but not with him. Not anymore. She didn't want to be apart from him.

"I won't leave you, not ever," he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips, relief flooding through him when she kissed him back.

What started as an innocent, sweet kiss soon turned into more as Quinn clutched at his hair and thrust her tongue into his mouth, pulling him down on top of her. Puck tangled his fingers in her hair as they kissed hungrily, his other hand running down her body to grab and squeeze her ass, pulling her hips tight to his. Quinn moaned loudly and thrust her hips up at him, sucking and nipping greedily at his chest.

"Take your clothes off for me," Quinn whispered, licking her lips. "Get naked with me."

She wanted him, and she was done with pretending she didn't.

Clothes were tossed aside easily, their bare bodies tight together as they kissed again, tongues duelling, sparks igniting with every touch, every kiss. Quinn was a quivering wreck as he kissed his way down her body to her knees, grabbing him and pulling his lips back to hers, spreading her legs wide and thrusting up at him as his hands explored her body, cupping and kneading the firm flesh of her breasts. It was all too much for her, and she ached for him. The build-up of their earlier touching and teasing, as well as the emotions between them after their talk/fight meant neither of them could take much more.

"Take me," she breathed, throwing her head back as his mouth closed around her nipple again, his fingers slipping between her thighs, finding her hot and wet, and so ready for him.

He didn't need telling twice.

"I love you," Puck murmured huskily against her throat, spreading her legs open for him before sinking into her with a loud groan. It felt like coming home, and she felt just as amazing as she had the last time they'd been together this way. He had wanted her like this ever since he first turned up on her doorstep with the proposition.

"I love you, too," Quinn moaned, her eyes shut and her fingers grabbing onto the sheets desperately. It felt so right to be with him this way again, and he filled her perfectly. Up until now, she had thought Jason was the best she had had sexually, but God was she wrong. Puck was so big, and thick, and she couldn't remember ever feeling this good.

"God, Q," he groaned, pulling back so she almost lost him before thrusting back in, Quinn gasping his name and grabbing onto the sheets desperately, whimpering and throwing her head back.

"You feel so good," she breathed, arching her back as he slammed deep, deep into her, moaning his name loudly as he sucked on her neck, raking her nails down his back to his ass, trying to press him further into her.

"You too, baby," he grunted, gripping her hips as he sawed in and out of her, Quinn bucking her hips up at him, taking every one of his thrusts with a gasp of his name. She had never felt so loved as she did there and then in his arms.

"I want to get on top," she breathed out, scrunching her face up and crying out in pleasure as he squeezed her breasts in both hands.

Puck rolled onto his back and brought Quinn up to sit on him, the blonde mewing in delight and steadying herself on his chest, rocking her hips back and forth quickly, his hands finding her ass to encourage her rhythm, leaning up to reach her breasts, flicking his tongue over her nipple with a smirk as she grabbed onto his shoulders and threw her head back with a gasp. She felt so full with his cock impaling her this way, rocking her hips in delight and cupping her breasts, offering them up to him.

"Bounce, baby," he urged, knowing she was close by the way she started to tremble in his arms, letting her pull at him until he was sat up with her, their faces close as she panted into his mouth, squeezing and kneading her breasts like she wanted, her nipples digging into the palms of his hands as thrust her chest out at him.

Quinn lifted herself before slamming back down, moaning into his mouth as she picked up the pace, bouncing on top of him, clutching him to her breasts, his tongue licking and tasting the firm skin. It felt so good to be with him this way, to have him hold her this way, to love him like this. He didn't need to go elsewhere for anything. Not for love, or safety, or pleasure, or comfort, or friendship. He had her. It felt like she was on fire as he thrust up when she slammed down, crushing her lips to his. It was perfect.

"I'm so close," she panted into his mouth, her eyes closed, letting her body take what it wanted, the bed creaking with the force of her bouncing.

"Come on baby, come for me," Puck murmured, kissing her jaw as she threw her head back, her breasts bouncing against his chest with her.

Every thing was perfect.

"Mine," Quinn gasped, feeling her stomach start to tighten, gripping him tighter to her. "You're mine," she whimpered, the coldness of her ring tickling his neck, feeling ice cold against his sweaty, overheated skin.

"Yours," he told her, feeling her hips start to buck wildly against him, knowing she was right there. "And you're mine," he growled into her throat, flicking her clit and sending her over the edge.

"Noah!" She screamed, her whole body tightening, flying apart, scratching down his back as she let the pleasure wash over her.

_Noah. _

Quinn had called out his first name, and he had never heard it sound as beautiful as it did screamed out in her breathless voice.

"Lucy," he grunted against her shoulder, slamming her hips tight to his as he filled her up, the blonde sagging in his arms and holding on tight to him.

Quinn buried her face in his neck as she struggled to get her breath back, knotting her fingers in his hair. He'd called her Lucy, and it was the first time someone had called her that during sex, like they thought the real her was as beautiful as the woman she was now. Puck stroked his hand up and down her sweaty back absently, the only sound being their gasping pants for air. It had truly felt like coming home to be with her like this again, and he wasn't going to let go of her again that easily. He would fight for her until his last breath.

"Are you ok?" Puck murmured finally against her throat, pulling away to look into her eyes, stroking along her cheek lovingly.

Quinn nodded and let a small smile tug at her lips, leaning into his touch with a happy sigh. "I feel amazing," she smiled, blushing a little and dropping her gaze, stroking her fingers over his heart.

"Lie with me, let me hold you," he mumbled, pressing kisses to her collarbone absently, drawing her down to lie in his arms. "Where does this leave us?"

"I don't know," Quinn whispered honestly, tucking her head beneath his chin and sighing against his chest.

"This wasn't just sex, was it?" He asked, groaning as she shifted, her muscles rippling along him, flexing his hips slightly.

"No," she breathed, biting her lip and arching her back with a soft moan. "It's never been just sex."

That was good enough for him, for now. They still had quite a way to go, but for now he had her and she had him, and things were good. Puck wrapped his arms tight around her and held her tight to him, staying buried inside her as they fell asleep. He wouldn't let her go again.

* * *

><p>Quinn blinked her eyes open slowly, stretching and pausing when she felt a hard, warm body against her. They had joined together several times throughout the night, and she felt amazing, the slight soreness between her thighs making her smile. Puck's hand was holding her breast, and she could feel his hardness pressed up against her ass.<p>

"Stop wiggling around, Q," Puck grumbled, squeezing her breast and pulling her tighter to him. "Or we won't be sleeping anymore."

"Who says I want to sleep?" Quinn breathed in response, brushing her ass back against him again, letting out a moan. He knew how she was in the morning, and she wasn't getting out of this bed until he got her off.

Puck smirked at her and drew her onto her back, kissing her hard, stroking his tongue along her lip before thrusting his tongue into her mouth to find hee tongue, the blonde groaning and tugging at his hair. He loved it when she was like this, because she got so frustrated and angry with his teasing. His lips left hers and started a path down her body, pausing to nuzzle at her breasts before kissing down to her stomach. Her stomach was one of his favourite parts of her body, because Beth had grown in there, and he knew without a doubt that one day she would grow another of their children in there.

"Stop teasing," she whined as he trailed his tongue along the inside of her thigh, so close yet so far from where she wanted him. Her hands were clutching at her breasts, thumbs rubbing at her nipples, trying to give herself the release he wouldn't let her find yet.

"Patience," he mumbled against her thigh, slipping his fingers between her legs to spread them wide open, flashing her a devious smile before burying his face between her thighs, Quinn crying out in pleasure, her knuckles turning white as she grabbed and tugged at the sheets.

"Oh, oh, oh, Puck, yes," she breathed, letting her body take control, her hips thrusting up against his mouth as he sucked on her clit, running a hand down her body to his head, knotting her fingers in his hair and forcing him closer to her as her body began to shudder and shake.

"Quinn? Are you awake?" Hannah called, rattling the doorknob, Puck thanking God that he had locked their door last night. Even though what he was doing to her was hidden beneath the blankets, he didn't think Quinn would appreciate his sister catching him with his head between her legs.

"I-I'm coming Hannah," Quinn called, breaking through her lust fog long enough to reply to the teen, Puck smirking at her choice of words.

"Damn right," Puck growled, thrusting two fingers deep inside her, sucking quickly on her clit, feeling her thighs begin to shake violently as her body began to twist and writhe on the bed, her moans turning into loud gasps.

Quinn bit down on her pillow as she humped her hips against his face, muffling her screams as she came hard, her thighs trying to clamp shut instinctively, Puck preventing them from doing so as he licked up the results of his hard work.

"Better?" He asked with a smirk, admiring her red cheeks and dark eyes as he sucked his fingers clean absently.

"Mmm," she hummed in response, her heart beating so fast she thought it would fly out of her chest.

"Noah, Quinn, mom said breakfast is going cold," Hannah yelled, again trying to get their attention by wiggling the door handle.

"We'll be there in a minute," Puck called over his shoulder, leaning down to kiss Quinn, to let her taste herself on his lips.

"This was a stupid idea," Quinn breathed when he pulled away, pushing herself up into a sitting position.

"You regret what we've done?" He asked, studying her eyes carefully, searching for answers.

"No, not that. This. The pretending to be engaged and thinking nothing would come of it. It was dumb of us," she explained, pressing her hand to his chest. "I don't regret sleeping with you."

"It was dumb," he agreed. "But I don't think it's a mistake, either."

"No, it's not a mistake. This isn't a mistake," she mumbled, leaning in for another kiss before getting out of bed and walking naked across the room to the wardrobe.

"Does this mean we're together now?" He asked, watching the way her ass swayed as she walked and the way her breasts jiggled when she giggled at him. He almost pouted when she slipped into a white sundress, covering her body from his sight.

Quinn smiled at his question, slipping into her flip flops before heading back to him, crushing her lips to his in a long kiss, stroking through her hair.

"I'm not that easy, Puckerman," she smirked, kissing him again before leaving him naked and scowling on their bed.

It seemed the whole teasing and no pleasing rule still applied. Well if she thought he would let her get away that easily, she was wrong. He would make her his again.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Puck asked as he came down the stairs, almost bumping into Quinn who was hovering in the hall, chewing her lip. She looked up in relief when she saw him, nodding her head towards the kitchen door.<p>

"I was waiting for you. I'm not going in there alone," Quinn whispered, tugging his t-shirt collar aside to cover a love bite she had left on his skin. "They heard us last night," she explained, seeing his confused look.

"Oh," he frowned, pausing for a moment before shrugging and heading for the kitchen, Quinn scowling at him and hurrying after him.

"Morning," Ruth smiled from over the rim of her coffee cup, Quinn blushing and clearing her throat as she filled her plate with pancakes.

"That workout sure made you hungry, hm?" Maggie asked, chuckling as Quinn's face turned bright red, Puck scowling and grabbing a glass of water.

"If you say so," Quinn answered, waiting for Puck to sit at the table with her, avoiding their eyes. She knew they had been loud, but didn't think they were _that_ loud.

"Quinn, you have a love bite on your neck," Hannah smirked on her way outside, Ruth and Maggie bursting into fits of laughter as the blonde covered her neck quickly.

"You're not funny," Puck told them with a roll of his eyes, stealing a bite of Quinn's pancake.

"Touchy," Maggie grinned, sitting across from them. "I take it Hannah interrupted something this morning?"

"Grams, we are not talking about this with you," Puck told her firmly, his hand finding Quinn's thigh under the table, smirking as he remembered she was naked under her dress. Maybe he could-

"Don't even think about it," Quinn muttered as she felt his hand creeping up her thigh.

"Maybe I will get a great grandbaby before I go, after all," Maggie smiled, winking at them before heading outside with Ruth, no doubt to talk about their sex life again.

Puck waited for a few seconds before trying again to get under Quinn's dress, kissing her to silence her protests, groaning in disappointment as she pulled his hand away from her heat, kissing him back. Thankfully she didn't stop him when he grabbed her breast, letting his tongue into her mouth.

"Be mine," he murmured into her ear, nipping at her ear lobe with his teeth.

"I'm not that easy," she breathed in response yet again, getting up from the table and heading upstairs. She wasn't going to be with him just because they'd slept together. That road had been taken by her before, and it wasn't pleasant. She needed to be sure he wanted her because he loved her, not because he loved her body.

* * *

><p>"Calm your tits," Puck grumbled, trudging to the front door, opening it to silence the hammering of fists against the wood.<p>

"How are you doing, Hulk?" Santana asked with a grin, pushing past him and heading into the house. "Fabray! Get your ass down here, now!" She yelled up the stairs.

"Hulk?" He asked, arching his eyebrow at the latina who simply smiled in response.

"Sorry, I couldn't find my phone," Quinn breathed, hurrying down the stairs, stuffing her keys into her purse.

"If you rubbed one out, I hope you washed your hands," Santana grumbled, grabbing her wrist and pausing as she noticed something on the blonde's neck, smirking at them.

"Don't be crude," Quinn sighed, turning to Puck and kissing him, stroking along his cheek and promising she would be back soon before heading out with Santana.

"I thought you said he cheated on you," Santana frowned as they got into her car, pulling away from the house and speeding away.

"It was a misunderstanding. It's a long story," Quinn told her, staring out of the window absently.

"So you're together again now?" Santana asked, glancing over at her. She didn't know Puck and Quinn's engagement was false, no one besides Rachel and Kurt did.

"No. Not until I know he loves me, not my body," Quinn replied, twisting the ring around her finger. She really did love the ring.

"That won't take long, Q. We all know he loves you," Santana sniggered, pulling up in the parking lot of the mall.

But did he?

* * *

><p>"Hey man, what are you doing out here?" Artie asked, wheeling down to the bathhouse.<p>

"Engine is screwed again, but my leg won't let me bend down to fix it so I hired help," Puck shrugged from where he sat on the bench, watching the mechanic work on his boat. He was using the wrong oil, but it was rude to point that out.

"Oh. Where's Q?" He asked with a smile, looking around for the blonde.

"She's out with Santana somewhere," he sighed, taking a long drink of his beer.

"Are things any better?" He asked, fixing his glasses on his nose. Puck had told him every thing, from the false engagement to Dianna to the making out on the boat.

"We slept together last night," Puck admitted, staring out at the water. He didn't know why Quinn didn't want to be with him. She loved him, he loved her, what was missing?

"Awesome!" Artie grinned, patting his shoulder. "Is that what the beer is for? Celebrating?"

"Maybe, if she wanted to be with me," he sighed, stretching out his good leg.

"She doesn't want to be with you?" Artie asked, his eyes wide in shock. He thought after Quinn understood about Dianna, she would be with him happily. They had all seen her fall apart in the hospital at the thought of losing him.

"She admitted she loves me, but she said she wasn't that easy. What does that even mean?" Puck frowned, finishing his beer.

"Dude, come on. Quinn was brought up as a strict Catholic. She should still be a virgin, because she's not married yet, but she isn't. You can't just have sex with her and expect that to be enough for her to want to be with you. You gotta show her you want her," Artie shrugged, giving him a thumbs up. "Kitty does it all the time."

Puck nodded, a smile creeping across his face. He knew exactly how to win back Quinn Fabray's heart, and possibly even her panties. Oh yeah, Quinn had better watch out, cause the Puckasaurous was gonna make her his.

* * *

><p>Quinn sighed in frustration as Santana pulled her into yet another lingerie store. It was Santana and Brittany's anniversary, and apparently new underwear was needed. This was the fifth store they'd been in, and she was tired of the lace already.<p>

"Oh lighten up, Fabray. Why don't you get something for Puck?" Santana asked, examining a red lingerie set.

"He wouldn't want to see me in any of this," Quinn argued, lifting a hot pink bra. "I don't have the body for it."

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? Get your ass in one of these now," Santana ordered, pointing at the rows of sexy underwear. "You'll look smoking hot."

Quinn shot her a wary look but sighed and looked at the lacy fabric, finally picking up a black lace push up bra and thong set, picking up the black see through nightie too after a moment's consideration. Maybe it would hide her stretch marks. Santana nodded her approval and led her into the dressing rooms, sitting down on the sofa.

"Try that on and then let me see," Santana told her, crossing her arms. How did the blonde not see how sexy she was?

Quinn sighed but nodded and slipped into a stall, drawing the curtain shut and shedding her clothes, slipping into the underwear. It was sexy, and she knew Puck would love it, but she wanted him to love her too.

"Lets see, Fabray," Santana called, bouncing her foot as she waited, her jaw dropping when Quinn came out of the stall.

"Is it ok?" Quinn asked, glancing in the mirror, adjusting the bra with a frown. Were her boobs really that fat? And her butt was huge!

"Fuck Q, I would pay to fuck you in that if I wasn't with Brittany," Santana told her honestly. She looked amazing, devastatingly so.

"I'm not so sure," she mumbled, toying with the hem of the nightie.

"Look, Quinn. Puck has been in love with you for ten years now, if not longer. He changed for you, he loves your body, yes, but he loves you more. It's ok to enjoy sex, and to feel sexy. Look at you, you're stunning. You're allowed to want to wear things like this, just because Jason said you couldn't," Santana assured her, getting up to hug her close.

"You're right. I can wear this, I can feel sexy," Quinn nodded, breathing in her friend's perfume.

"Yes, you can," she agreed, spanking her ass. "What? I had to feel you up a little. You're smoking."

Quinn simply rolled her eyes in response and headed back into the stall to get changed, hanging the lingerie back on its hanger. Maybe Santana was right. Maybe she should stop judging her relationship with Puck from the sexual side.

"If you ever decide to make it a three time thing, let me know," Santana smirked, accompanying the blonde to the check out.

"No, thank you. Puck is the only person I want," Quinn told her, handing the clerk her credit card.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Santana asked with a grin.

Maybe it wasn't so hard after all.

* * *

><p>"Quinn's back!" Hannah yelled, spotting Santana's car pull up outside their house. "Hurry up!"<p>

Puck finished off his preparations and headed back into the house, both nervous and excited. He hoped Quinn liked what he had planned, and that it worked for them. This was the last idea he had left on winning Quinn's heart back, so he had to give it a hundred and ten percent.

"Ready?" Hannah asked, clasping her hands under her chins with a grin. She knew Quinn would love what Puck had planned for her.

"Yes," he nodded, smiling as Quinn came into the house, hanging her scarf and jacket up with a smile.

"Hey," Quinn smiled. "I have something for you."

"Me first. Come with me," Puck invited, holding his arm out to her, the blonde arching her brow at him but setting aside her bags and letting him lead her outside, their fingers intertwined, swinging back and forth as they walked.

"It's beautiful out here at night," she breathed, looking up at the stars. They were always so beautiful, and loved by all. Sometimes being a star sounded good to her.

"It is, but not as beautiful as you," he shrugged, Quinn blushing at the cheesy line.

"Are you going to tell me what you dragged me out here for? I'm not sleeping with you in the lake if that's what this is," she warned. The lake was pretty and all, but she wasn't so sure she wanted to be naked in there as of yet.

"This isn't about sex, Q. I don't just want you for sex," he replied, gently helping her down the slight slope as she slipped.

"I know," she whispered, because deep down she did know.

Quinn's eyes grew wide as he led her a little further, seeing the candles flickering in the light breeze, his guitar propped up. What was this?

"I wanted to show you that what we have is more than sex, that I want _you_ and not just your body. It would suck if we never made love again, but loving you is worth it," he murmured, gently pushing her to sit down on the bench he had sat on earlier.

"We make love?" She smiled, looking up at him. No one else had done that with her.

"Yes, because I love you, and you love me, and up there in those stars that you love so much, is where we're written. Out on the lake on the boat is where we screwed things up, so I thought here is where we can put things right again," he smiled, kissing her cheek lightly before picking up his guitar, and starting to sing for her.

Only for her. He had only ever sung for her.

_I've waited a hundred years, _

_but I'd wait a million more, for you._

_Nothing prepared me for, _

_what the privilege of being yours would do._

_If I had only felt the warmth within your touch._

_If I had only seen how you smile when you blush._

_Or how you curl your lip, when you concentrate enough._

_Well I would've known, what I was living for, all along._

_What I've been living for._

_Your love is my turning page, _

_and only the sweetest words remain._

_Every kiss is a cursive line,_

_Every touch a redefining page._

_I surrender who I've been, for who you are._

_For nothing makes me stronger, than your fragile heart._

_If I had only felt how it feels to be yours,_

_Well I would've known, what I've been living for, all along._

_What I've been living for._

_Though we're tethered, to the story we must tell._

_When I saw you, I knew we'd tell it well._

_We will tame the vicious seas,_

_Like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees._

Quinn was in tears by the time he finished, clutched her chest as her body heaved with the strength of her sobs.

"I love you, Quinn. I love you, and I want you, not just your body. I've loved you since we were fourteen, and I know you're the one for me. I want to be with you, Q. I want to have you, and to love you. I want us to do this for real. Baby, I want you to be mine," Puck murmured, bringing her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles as she stared down at him, tears running down her cheeks.

He loved her so much. He needed to be with her to be able to breathe properly. She was his other half.

"Will you be mine?"

_Braced myself for the goodbye, cause that's all I've ever known._

_Then you took me by surprise, you said "I'll never leave you alone."_

* * *

><p><em><strong>I apologise for the smut, I had some help writing it from my friend. I hope you all have a great day, and please review:)<strong>_

_**Song lyrics used: Taylor Swift- Mine**_

_**Song sang by Puck: Sleeping At Last- Turning Page (Breaking Dawn soundtrack)**_


	11. Oh, you run away

**_Disclaimer: I don't own anything_**

**_A/N: I tweeted Joaquin Sedillo (he worked with the glee cast on 100) and he's been responding to questions about season six so naturally, I asked if he thought Quick would still be together and he said he did. So, that's something, right? _**

**_I apologize in advance for typos and/or grammar mistakes, this is written on my iPad because me being the genius that I am, dropped my laptop on the floor in my garden. Dumb, I know, but oh well._**

**_Enjoy :) _**

* * *

><p><em>All of my friends say, I should move on,<em>

_"She's just another girl, don't let her stick it to your heart so hard..."_

Quinn stared at him for a long moment before he got to his feet and pulled her close, forcing her to look him in the eye as he spoke to her.

"Lucy, listen to me," Puck murmured as she tried to turn her head away, his thumbs stroking away her tears.

"Don't call me that," Quinn breathed, shaking her head. "I'm not Lucy, don't call me Lucy."

"Lucy," he continued, ignoring her protests, "I love you, you know that I love you and I know that you love me, too. You're scared, you're scared to let me in because so many people have shut you out, but I promise you now, I won't _ever_ shut you out and leave you alone. We started out this fake engagement in naïvety and we stupidly thought it wouldn't change things for us, but it has, and we both know that. Things changed the moment I showed up on your doorstep, and they won't ever be the same again. I'm glad of that. Its been almost a month since we started this and its been the best month of my life. We've gotten to know each other again, the real us and we've been happy for the first time in years. I know you, ok? I know you like to put up walls to keep your heart safe but baby, you don't need those walls with me because your heart is the greatest treasure in the world. I love you, Lucy Quinn Fabray and I need you in my life. I need this to be real. All you have to say is yes, baby. It's just one word," he told her, their foreheads close.

Quinn let out a quivering breath, her hands coming up to cradle his face as she sniffled, studying his eyes for a long moment. Just one word. All it took was one word and he was hers again, forever. So why wouldn't her lips move?

_"I'd take care of it, you know. You too."_

_"I knew I needed to help Quinn and our baby, somehow."_

_"My baby mama was gonna have it all."_

_"All I hear is you complaining about how hard this is for you, what about her?"_

_"You're a punk, who doesn't deserve Quinn as his girlfriend!"_

_"Finn gets the sympathy, he gets the girl!"_

_"You're such an egghead."_

_"I should never have called you a Lima loser. You're not."_

_"You're special and romantic."_

_"I want to be with you. I want to do everything I can to be a good dad to our baby."_

_"Did you love me?" _

_"Yes, especially now."_

_"I'm proud of you."_

_"You don't need a baby, or a dude, or anyone to make you special."_

_"I see you somewhere warm like LA."_

_"I'm here because I love you."_

_"No regrets."_

_"You know what, Puckerman? You got this."_

_"I'm so proud of you."_

_"The past is dead to me. Except for maybe just one thing."_

_"Don't you see how much better you are than this guy?"_

The memories of their past rang in Quinn's ears and she knew she couldn't let him go again. Her hands cupped hold of his cheeks, pulling him close to her so he would hear her.

"You're my soul mate," she whispered, her eyes closed, her nose nudging his. "But we can't do it this way."

Puck felt his heart drop at her answer, feeling the cold hit his body as she stepped away, slipping her ring off her finger. It burnt his hand when she pressed the ring into his palm, burnt right through his body in the most painful way he could imagine.

"Get down on one knee," she breathed, closing his fingers around the ring, watching the light fill his eyes again as he realised what she had meant.

If they were going to do it for real, she wanted a real proposal. She didn't want to be his girlfriend. They couldn't ever really go back to just being boyfriend and girlfriend. They were much more than that. Puck slowly got down on one knee, wobbling slightly because of his injured thigh, holding her hands to steady himself.

"Lucy Quinn Fabray, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" Puck asked, stroking his thumb over her knuckles gently. She was so delicate and fragile, and he would never, ever break her.

"Yes," Quinn whispered, nodding her head as tears ran down her cheeks. It was inevitable, really. This had always been their fate, ever since they were fourteen and kissed for the first time under the bleachers.

Puck smiled happily at her and slid the ring back onto her finger, kissing beneath it before getting to his feet and catching her as she threw herself into his arms, her lips claiming his.

He was hers and she was his, and she didn't care who knew it.

Her arms wound tight around his neck as they kissed passionately, his fingers getting lost in her blonde hair as his other hand found her hip, pulling her in closer to him. His tongue stroked along her top lip, Quinn's lips parting eagerly to grant him access as she thrust her body against his with a moan. She bit into his lower lip and sucked on it for a moment before pulling back, her ring cool against his cheek bone.

"Take me to bed," she ordered breathlessly, pulling him to her and kissing him again. He wanted to lift her up and carry her straight to bed, but he knew his leg wasn't strong enough for that and he didn't want to risk dropping and hurting her.

"Gladly," he murmured, tasting her lips again before taking her hand and leading her through the grass, the overgrown strands brushing at and tickling her legs as she walked alongside him, her dress fluttering above her knees in the breeze.

It felt so right to hold his hand in hers and she could barely control the desire to jump him there and then. But it probably wouldn't do them any good to be caught having sex in the grass. And knowing their luck, they definitely would be caught. They reached the house and a small smile tugged at her lips as she spotted her bags, remembering the lingerie Santana had convinced her to buy. Puck had surprised her with the song and the proposal and now it was her turn to surprise him.

"I'm going to take a quick shower, and then I'm all yours," Quinn murmured, leaning in to kiss him again before grabbing her bags and heading up the stairs, feeling his eyes on her ass as she moved.

He was in for a shock.

* * *

><p>Quinn adjusted the bra one more time and tugged the see through black nightie on over it, the fabric barely covering her ass. Part of her felt ridiculous and wanted to just get into her pyjamas, but the other half of her knew Puck would love it, and so she slipped her black silk robe on and opened the bathroom door, frowning to hear Puck on the phone to someone on the balcony.<p>

"Dianna, I told you to stop calling me," Puck hissed down the phone, Quinn stiffening at the sound of that bitch's name. She hated that woman with a passion. "I told you, we're over. Nothing is going to happen between us, so stop."

Puck hung up and stuffed his phone in his jeans, freezing when he turned to see Quinn stood in the middle of the room, looking as beautiful as ever.

"Hey," Quinn whispered, offering him a smile. She was happy to have heard that, to be able to trust him when he said he loved her and only her.

"You look amazing," he murmured, kissing the corner of her mouth before tugging his t-shirt off, Quinn reaching out to brush her fingers over his muscled stomach.

"I have something for you," she purred, tugging the ties of her robe and letting it fall to the floor along with his jaw and his gaze. "Santana helped me pick it out."

Puck swallowed hard a few times, his eyes roaming her body hungrily before he pulled her close, kissing her hard as his fingers tangled in her hair. Quinn moaned into his mouth and pushed against him, throwing him down on the bed and straddling him, crushing her lips to his. His hands ran down her back, groaning into her mouth as all he found was the firm skin of her ass. A thong. She was trying to kill him.

"Fuck, Q," he mumbled, her lips leaving his to trail down his neck, her hands smoothing over his chest.

"Yes, please," she smirked in response, sitting up and snapping open her bra, letting it fall away from her body.

Puck instantly took advantage of the fact that her breasts were free, cupping them and sucking at her nipple, flicking it with his tongue and making her shudder on top of him. Her hips rocked quickly against him, using his hardness to stimulate herself and he knew she was feeling it just as much as he was. This desperate need to express their love physically, with no thoughts of being quiet at all. Or at least not as far as Quinn's moans were considered.

"Oh, yes," Quinn moaned, holding him tight to her breast, her head falling back against her shoulders as she bucked her hips against him.

Puck smirked against the side of her breast, poking his tongue out to taste her skin, the blonde crying out. He let her push him back against the pillows, kissing her back as she thrust her tongue into his mouth, her fingers tugging his jeans down far enough to get to what she so desperately needed.

"Wait a sec, babe. We need-" he cut off as she kissed him again, not interested in what it was he was going to say. It could wait.

"Make love to me," she breathed into his ear, nipping at his jaw with her teeth as her small hand wrapped around him, moving her hand up and down quickly, his breath hot against her lips.

Puck took hold of her hips and flipped her on to her back, tugging her damp thong down her legs with his teeth, Quinn grabbing a hold of the sheets as he crawled back up her body. His hands found her thighs, spreading them and yanking her closer to him, the blonde slipping her arms under his to hold him tight to her.

"I love you," Puck murmured, kissing her and stealing the ability for her to answer as he entered her, her back arching as a guttural moan left her throat.

"I love you, too," Quinn whispered, turning her head to kiss his neck as he started to move inside her, creating the most amazing sensations she had ever felt, pleasing her, teasing her. "Yes," she breathed, clutching at his back as he gripped her thigh to spread her further open. "Right there, baby."

Puck moved faster into her, their faces close, their hot breaths mingling every time his thrusts forced the breath from her lungs. He could feel her ring against his back and it felt wonderful, amazing, spectacular to know it was there for real. She would be his wife one day. Quinn's hips were moving perfectly in time with his, their eyes locked as she kept their faces close, her body beginning to shake beneath him. He knew she was close by the way she wrapped her arms tight around his neck, tugging desperately at his hair as she threw her head back, and he knew he wasn't far behind her.

Quinn got louder and louder as they neared the end, her nails drawing blood as she scratched down his back and flew apart, biting down on his neck to muffle the screams that ripped their way out of her body. He needed to pull out, but her legs wound tight around his waist, her hands grabbing his ass and pressing him deeper inside her, keeping him right there as he came, slamming his hips into hers as she flew apart again.

They collapsed together in a sweaty heap of limbs, the room filling with the sounds of their heavy breathing. They needed to talk about the fact that they had just slept together without protection- again- but right now he was far too happy holding her to bring it up.

"I love you," Quinn whispered, kissing his jaw as they turned onto their sides, cuddled up tight together. "It's always been you. Always. We were just waiting for each other."

"I love you, too, Lucy," Puck smiled, stroking through her messy hair. She looked amazingly beautiful like this- naked and sweaty because of him. And no one else would ever get to see her this way, because no one fucked his future wife but him.

"Why do you call me that? I'm not Lucy," she frowned, stroking his chest absently, leaning in to kiss one of the tiny scars on his tan skin. "Not anymore."

"Because Lucy is all mine," he answered simply, kissing her fingers.

Quinn smiled at that, tucking her head under his chin. No one had ever loved Lucy before, and it felt good to say now that someone did. Especially because it was him.

"Quinn is all yours too," she mumbled against his throat, stroking the red mark her bite had left on his skin. "_I'm_ all yours."

"I'm yours too," he told her, kissing her forehead lightly and holding him close to her.

* * *

><p>Their peace lasted all of five minutes before Quinn was wriggling around, waking him up from his almost sleep.<p>

"What are you doing?" He asked sleepily, an amused smile on his face as she wriggled about in his arms.

"I need to pee and you're still inside me," she grumbled, finally getting free and sprinting to the bathroom, her feet thudding against the floor.

Puck laughed at her before closing his eyes, trying to go back to sleep. But, his fiancé being the little pest that she was, decided sleep wasn't on the cards for him tonight as she jumped back into the bed. Literally jumped, almost colliding with his body.

"Noah," she sang, giggling and poking his cheek. "Oh Noah," she giggled, drumming her fingers on his chest, hell bent on waking him up.

"Someone better be on fire," he grumbled, cracking an eye open to scowl at Quinn who apparently found it hilarious, erupting into fits of laughter. "Do you have a reason for not letting me sleep?"

"Yes," she nodded, sitting on him and bouncing around on his chest, Puck arching his brow at her, waiting for her answer. "I love you."

"You're not cute," he grumbled, ignoring the face she pulled at him, trying to find a way to sleep with her using him as her personal bouncy castle. "But I love you, too."

Quinn grinned triumphantly, leaning forward to whisper in his ear, Puck perking up immediately.

"Now you're talking, babe," he growled, rolling onto her and thrusting back into her. It was almost five am before the blonde allowed them to sleep, by which point they were exhausted. Life with Quinn would certainly never be boring, that's for sure.

* * *

><p>Puck woke first the next morning, the sun rays warming his back, blonde hair tickling his chin when he shifted to stretch. His arm was numb from Quinn sleeping on it, but he didn't care. Her hand was clutching his arm and he couldn't help but smile at her ring. Quinn was his world and he couldn't wait to marry her some day.<p>

Quinn shifted in his arms, a smile lighting up her face when she turned her head to see him. So it hadn't been a dream, after all.

"Morning," Quinn smiled, turning in his arms to kiss him, stroking his cheek lovingly.

"Morning," Puck murmured, stroking through her hair and kissing her again. "Any regrets?"

"Not one. You?" She asked, rubbing her nose against his happily.

"Only one," he smirked, sitting up and stretching his arms above his head.

"And what would that be?" She purred, staying led on her back, watching him with a smile as he got out of the bed, her eyes on his ass.

"You scratched the shit out of my back," he pouted, tugging a clean pair of boxers on.

"Sorry," she smiled, and he could tell she wasn't sorry at all.

"Quinn! I need your help!" Hannah yelled, bursting into their bedroom, the door slamming into the wall.

Quinn screamed and clutched the blankets to her breasts as Puck hurriedly pulled his jeans on, Hannah looking between them a few times before smirking and turning her back to them.

"Hurry up and get some clothes on cause I need Quinn's help," Hannah ordered, covering her eyes too.

Quinn almost fell out of the bed in her haste to get dressed, grabbing the first dress she laid hands on and tugging it on quickly.

"What is it, Hannah?" Quinn asked breathlessly, Puck zipping her dress up and kissing her hair.

"It's private, Noah," Hannah scowled, hands on her hips. She wanted help from Quinn, not from her brother. It was private girl stuff. He didn't need to know.

"Is it a boy? I'll shoot him," Puck threatened, cracking his knuckles, Quinn rolling her eyes and shoving him towards the door.

"It's not a boy," Hannah told him, sitting down on the bed and rolling her eyes at the "good," she got in response from Puck.

"Go make breakfast," Quinn smiled, stretching up to kiss him before shutting the door behind him and heading back to the bed, sitting next to Hannah. "What's wrong?"

Hannah blushed before leaning against the blonde, reaching up to her ear. "I think I started my period," she whispered, blushing deep red and looking down at her hands.

Quinn nodded and smiled, pulling her into a hug. "Do you know what that means?"

"Yeah, I can get pregnant now like you did with Beth, right?" Hannah asked, looking up at her, Quinn nodding and smiling.

"Why don't you and I go for some ice cream?" Quinn offered, tucking her hair behind her ear, the teen nodding and smiling happily.

"You're a good sister," Hannah smiled, hugging her tight before pulling away and heading for the door. "Even if you do smell like my brother."

"Thank you," Quinn answered, winking at her and tugging her shoes on before heading downstairs, following Hannah into the dining room.

"They heard us again," Puck told her as she sat beside him and leant in for a kiss, the blonde shrugging and kissing him anyway. She wasn't planning on stopping sleeping with him, so they were going to have to get used to being called out by his mom and grams.

"I'm taking Hannah out for ice cream, do you want to come?" Quinn asked, spooning a strawberry into her mouth and grinning at the brunette who grumbled something under her breath.

"I think he did enough of that last night," Maggie grinned, Quinn choking on her strawberry as Puck spat his water out, their eyes wide.

"Grams!" He cried, holding a glass of water up to Quinn's lips, the blonde gulping it down quickly.

"Mom, that was uncalled for," Ruth sighed, shaking her head from the breakfast bar where she sat reading the paper.

"Let me have my fun, Ruthie," Maggie replied, handing a box over to Quinn who took it with a confused smile.

"What is this?" Quinn asked, lifting the lid off of the box, stroking the soft material of the blanket folded within the box, Puck leaning over to see it.

"I call it the baby maker," Maggie smirked, leaning back in her seat. "I was serious about wanting a great grandbaby."

Quinn shoved the box away from her, shaking her head with a laugh. "We don't need that."

"I'm sure you don't," Ruth teased, winking at them.

"Can we go get ice cream now?" Hannah asked, leaning on her elbows on the table, watching Quinn and Puck carefully.

"Yes," Quinn answered instantly, leaping to her feet. She was more than ready to get out of the house and avoid the baby innuendos. Puck was too, it seemed, as he grabbed his keys and headed straight for the door.

"Have fun," Ruth called after them as the door swung shut.

* * *

><p>"Here, squirt. Which do you want?" Puck asked, bringing his sister closer to the ice cream counter. Quinn had pulled him aside earlier to explain what was going on, and felt extra protective of his little sister now. It also put things into perspective for him, too. Hannah was only two years younger than Quinn when Beth was born, and a year younger than when he and Quinn slept together. He felt awful and guilt ridden for what he had done to Quinn and if someone ever attempted to touch his sister like that, he would kill them himself.<p>

"I can have any flavour I want?" Hannah asked, looking up at him with an arched brow. She figured Quinn had told him; he was never this nice to her. Not even when she broke her arm when she was seven.

"Yes," he nodded, feeling Quinn's arms wrap around his waist. "Any one you want."

"I want that one," Hannah grinned, pointing at the triple chocolate ice cream beneath the glass, Quinn nodding her agreement. Chocolate solved all the world's problems. At least for a second or two, anyway.

Puck snorted and ordered three chocolate ice creams, Quinn's head a welcome weight against his chest as they headed to the picnic bench together.

"Are you ok? You seem a little...distant," Quinn frowned as they sat down, Hannah sat across from them with her earphones in.

"Yeah, it's just with Hannah, it reminds me of us, you know? She's only a year younger than you were when we first slept together and it just reminded me how young you were. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that," he sighed, squeezing her thigh and taking a bite of his ice cream.

"I was sixteen the week after," she argued, leaning against him. "And I wanted it, you know I did. We both did. There was no advantage taking."

"I was fourteen the first time I dreamt about getting you naked and loving you like that. I don't want that for her," he sighed, kissing Quinn's hair and breathing in the smell of his shampoo in her hair.

"Hannah is smarter than we were, and I've talked to her about sex and pregnancy. Trust me, she doesn't want that. She'll learn from where we went wrong. If we had only been three or four years older, we could have kept our daughter. I don't want that for Hannah either, or for Beth," she mumbled, licking at her ice cream with a sigh. She prayed Shelby would teach Beth about sex and the consequences it could bring her. Judy hadn't told her about sex or protection, and she had gone blindly into sex. She prayed Beth was better than she was.

"I'm glad she has you to talk to about this stuff. You'd be an amazing mom, you know that, right?" Puck asked, stroking her arm lightly.

"I hope so. One day, maybe," Quinn sighed, leaning her back against his chest, his arm around her waist.

"One day," he murmured against her throat, kissing the skin lightly. It sounded more of a promise than a 'maybe'.

* * *

><p>"So tell me how you got interested in construction," Quinn grinned, sprawling out on the pillows.<p>

They had been at this for over an hour, sat in front of the fire talking about their lives, catching up on every thing they had missed out on with each other.

"It was a spur of the moment thing," Puck shrugged, drawing patterns on her stomach.

"So you decided to make a business building houses in the spur of the moment?" She asked, arching her brow at him, looking at him in disbelief.

"No, I mean, after the air force accident, I had to find a hobby. Something to keep me distracted, so I started working on an old house, fixing it up and stuff. It progressed from there," he explained, kissing her stomach absently, reaching for a handful of popcorn.

"I want to see something you've built one day," she smiled, laying her head in his lap and yawning. "Maybe you could build a house for us."

"Maybe," he smiled, stroking her hair. He was glad she was thinking about their future, that he wasn't the only one thinking long term. "What do you do for fun?"

"Fun? Baby, before this I was working every day and I spent my nights in bed with a movie. I didn't have time for fun, so I honestly can't answer that question because I can't remember," she sighed, dropping popcorn into her mouth.

"Ok, then what do you like doing here? Now?" He asked, dancing his fingers along her thigh.

"Besides getting you naked? I love the lake," she smiled, toying with his fingers absently. She wore his ring and one day he would wear hers too.

"The lake huh?" He asked, a smirk twitching at his lips. "Come on, let's go."

"Go where?" Quinn frowned, looking up at him in confusion as he got to his feet and held his hand out to her.

"The lake. Time to loosen you up, Fabray," Puck smirked, grabbing her wrist and leading her outside, the blonde hurrying alongside him excitedly.

She loved being outside in the dark, seeing the stars shining in the sky and watching them dance in the lake. The air was crisp and cool, a gentle breeze causing the bra a to move and sway as they strolled through it, stroking along her legs.

"Swim with me," she breathed, kissing him and unzipping her dress.

"Naked swimming, Fabray?" He asked, arching his brow as she dropped her dress to the floor. No bra and no panties. How the hell had she been naked under her dress all day without him knowing?

"You told me to loosen up," she smirked, backing up into the water, the waves cool against her bare skin. "Join me."

Puck didn't need telling twice, dropping his clothes to the floor and heading into the water after her, the moonlight casting a glow over her skin as she stood in the water.

"Are you cold?" He asked, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her back to his chest, his hand coming up to cup her breast. Her skin felt amazingly addictive in the water, her curves so soft and supple. There was no way he would ever get enough of her body.

"No," she breathed, allowing him to cop a feel before pulling away from him and swimming away, her giggles floating through the air to him. "Come on, Puckerman. Can't you catch a girl?"

Puck smirked at her before swimming after her, slower than usual because of his leg, but still fast enough to catch up to her easily enough. Quinn smiled as he reached her, the water now deep enough to be lapping at the underside of her breasts, her hair damp and her eyes sparkling.

"Got you," he smirked, pulling her into his arms and kissing her, tucking her hair behind her ear. "What should I do with you now, hm?" He asked teasingly, tickling her sides and enjoying the giggles that left her lips.

"We could run away to England and live in a tiny cottage house somewhere, just you and me. Or Greece, maybe. I heard they have amazing views over there," she mused with a grin, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, hugging him close to her. "Or we could just stay here forever like this," she breathed as she shifted her hips, sinking down on him with a moan. "Grow old with you inside of me."

"England, Greece. Is there anywhere else you want to visit, babe?" He asked against her neck, guiding her movements, helping her rise and fall on him. Growing old inside her sounded like a good idea, actually.

"I don't care where we go, as long as I'm with you," Quinn moaned, clutching him as she moved faster, the water splashing and rippling with her movements. "Oh God, harder, baby."

"We can stay like this, forever. My cock buried inside you and your perfect breasts bouncing every time you slam down on me. I would do this with you all day, everyday if we could," he mumbled, kissing her hard as she slammed her hips down faster and faster, his hands tugging her down harder, gripping her ass. "I just want you."

Quinn moaned loudly in response, nodding her head and kissing him, their wet bodies rubbing and grinding against each other. She loved him so much.

"What else do you see for us?" She breathed, bouncing faster, water splashing at their overheated bodies as she held on to his neck and hair.

"A wedding, kids, a house, us," he grunted in time with her bouncing, Quinn nodding her agreement before kissing him hard, thrusting her tongue into his mouth with such force that they almost toppled over. She wanted those things too.

Quinn screamed his name out into the night as she flew apart, like a seal, a vow, a promise. It would be her and Puck for the rest of her life, and as he grunted her name into her neck, holding her close like the most valuable treasure, she couldn't think of a better way to spend her life.

"You ripped my thong," Quinn whined as she crawled into bed, tossing her body into his arms. "Is it too hard for you to just pull them off instead of tearing them?"

"It's so much more fun to rip them off," Puck smirked, tugging the blankets up over them, spooning her with a smile.

"You can buy me more," she mumbled, holding his arm around her, lacing her fingers through his.

"We need to talk about something," he murmured, stroking her knuckles lightly, kissing at her jaw.

"That never ends well," she sighed, turning her head to see him, trying to find answers in his eyes. Had she done something wrong already?

"It's nothing bad, or not really," he assured her, kissing her lips before continuing, "I don't know if you've noticed, but we haven't used any protection. At all."

Quinn was silent for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing. She had noticed, and it didn't really bothered her. "I know, I noticed this morning."

"Would it be a bad thing if something came from this? If you're pregnant right now?" He asked, studying her eyes as she traced her fingers along his arm lightly.

"I think it's too soon, for a baby. If anything does come from this, I won't be upset or angry. I think we should start using protection, until we're ready for a child, but if I am pregnant from this, we're going to be happy about it. Is that ok with you?" She asked, biting her lip. She did want another baby with him, badly so, but it was too soon.

"That sounds perfect," he mumbled, pulling her close and closing his eyes, breathing in her perfume. It was strange how even her smell soothed him.

"I love you," Quinn whispered, smiling as his hand took possession of her breast. She had noticed he did that a lot when they slept like this. Even when they weren't together, she would wake up to him holding her breast. Maybe it was a guy thing.

"I love you, too," Puck murmured.

_Well maybe all of my friends should confront, _

_The fact that I don't want, an__other girl._

* * *

><p><strong><em>I decided to try to make this chapter more fluffy and sweet and less drama. I hope you enjoyed it and please review :) have a wonderful day :)<em>**

**_Song lyrics used: The Killers- Just Another Girl _**

**_Ps: Dianna pretending to be a bunny killed me. How is she so cute and perfect at the same time? God, I love her so much. And Mark in a cowboy hat. God. Salgron are going to be the death of me. _**


	12. Cause I Am Not What You Found

**_Disclaimer: still don't own anything_**

**_A/N: thank you for the response to the last chapter, I'm glad you all liked it. You're the greatest. I get my GCSE results back next week (if you're not from the UK they're like finals for Americans) and I'm so nervous. I got my English Language grade back already and its an A so I'm pretty proud of it. Anyway, if I don't post it's probably cause I'm busy freaking myself out over them haha._**

**_Please enjoy_**

**_Oh, and Bailey, PIZ PIZ PIZ PIZ!;)_**

* * *

><p><em>If you don't love me now, why would you ever love me?<em>

_If you don't love me now.._

Puck woke up to the sound of birds singing, and the warmth of the sun dancing along his bare back. He remembered everything that had happened yesterday with a smile, stretching out his arm to reach for his fiancé. But the bed was empty. Puck frowned and cracked an eye open, seeing the sheets were rumpled and still felt warm, but there was no Quinn.

"Quinn?" Puck asked, rolling onto his back with a yawn.

"Morning," Quinn smiled from the door, two mugs of coffee in hand. She was dressed in his shirt, and he would bet every dollar he had that she was naked under it. "I was going to make us breakfast but Kurt called and we're invited to brunch."

"And you said yes?" He pouted, taking his mug from her, the blonde climbing back into bed and leaning against his chest.

"Yes. They're all going home tonight, so I thought it would be nice to spend some time with them before they do," she mumbled against her mug, taking a long gulp of her coffee.

"I'm fine with that. I'm glad you see that you do have friends," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He had worried about her after she told him how alone she felt, so he was glad that the glee club did still care about her.

"I guess I was just in a bad place," she sighed, turning her head to kiss his jaw, smelling the coffee on his breath. Strangely, it was turning her on. Then again, everything Puck did turned her on.

"You don't have to be alone again," he promised, kissing her lips, tasting her coffee on them. Why did she always taste so fucking good?

"Mmm, just you and me?" She asked against his lips, her eyes closed and her hand stroking along his cheek absently. His skin was so soft, but the stubble was a welcome contrast. Facial hair was awful, but she loved the light stubble grazing his jaw.

"Just you and me," he nodded, finishing off his coffee and tossing her over his shoulder as he headed for the bathroom. Quinn couldn't keep in her laughter as she let him carry her, spanking his ass to get him to move faster. Actually, she was enjoying the view off his ass from this angle.

"Put me down," Quinn ordered, punching his back feebly.

Puck simply laughed and carried her into the bathroom, turning on the shower. He never listened to her orders, anyway.

* * *

><p>"About time!" Santana called from the booth in the corner of the café as Puck and Quinn finally joined them.<p>

"Sorry, traffic was hectic," Quinn lied breathlessly, tugging Puck over to the booth and sliding in next to Rachel, Puck sitting beside her. In truth, they had lost track of time 'christening' the bathroom.

"Really? Seemed pretty clear for the rest of us," Artie smirked, sipping his lemonade. He guessed Puck's proposal had worked, judging by the way Quinn was leant into his body. He was glad. Puck deserved to be happy.

"I guess we hit rush hour," Puck shrugged, pulling the menu across the table to them, holding it so Quinn could see it too.

"That must be it," Santana agreed sarcastically, cutting up Brittany's pancakes for her with a sigh.

Quinn rolled her eyes at her comment and leant against Puck, scanning the menu carefully. She should really choose the healthy option and start watching her weight again but right now she wasn't so bothered about how many calories she was taking in. Maybe she was just happy for once.

"So, have you guys set a date yet for the wedding?" Mercedes asked, smiling at Quinn's ring that sparkled under the light.

"Not yet," Quinn replied, though she made it sound as though she was thinking about it. That made Puck smile, because he wasn't the only one thinking about their future.

"It'll have to be pretty soon though, if your grams wants to see you get married, right?" Kurt asked gently, Puck nodding his head.

They didn't know for sure how long his grams had left, as Maggie didn't like to talk about it, but he knew it was less than a year. He hadn't really thought about her dying much, as it was easier to focus on other things. It felt like he was being punched through the stomach every time he thought about it.

"It'll be before she goes," Quinn promised, her hand finding its way to his, lacing their fingers and squeezing his hand. It was clear Puck was struggling with Maggie dying more than he let on, and she made a mental note to talk about it with him later.

"I can set you guys up with the cake and the food. We have an amazing food company. They made the food for Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran's wedding," Tina grinned, pulling a business card out of her purse and handing it to Quinn who took it happily.

"As long as Puck and Quinn aren't baking, I'm sure it's great. Those two should never be allowed to bake together," Rachel teased with a wink at Quinn who blushed, averting her gaze down to Puck's hand.

"Why not?" Sam asked, slurping his coca cola noisily, the whole glee club bursting into fits of laughter at his question.

"I'm telling the story!" Santana yelled over the lot of them, grinning and turning to Sam. "So sophomore year, back when Quinn had told Finn he was her lizard baby's daddy, these two decided it would be a good idea to volunteer to bake the cupcakes for the bake sale. Finn caught them before anything happened, but he wasn't there to see what happened when Puck went back into the home ec room, was he Q? Anyway, Britts and I were on our way to get some sand for Sue, probably for her to swallow or some shit, and we saw those two disgusting sex addicts going at it on the counter. Until now, I'm guessing by Quinn's bright red face that she didn't know we saw that. I told you Q, my Mexican third eyes sees _everything_."

The whole glee club erupted into laughter, the tables around them giving them weird looks. Quinn kept her eyes on the floor, her cheeks burning red in embarrassment. She remembered that day like it was yesterday. Her baby hormones had driven her crazy and all she had wanted was Puck.

"I can't believe you just told everyone that," Quinn breathed, hiding her face in Puck's chest, Santana laughing in response.

"Lets not even get started on what you did in my bathroom at my party," Rachel grinned, winking at the couple.

"Or in the rafters of the auditorium," Mike added, Tina hitting his chest with a sigh.

"The piano in the choir room," Kitty giggled, Quinn shooting her a glare that could kill.

"Ooh, I haven't heard this one!" Santana smirked, leaning across the table. "Continue Quinn 2.0."

"It was after my mentoring session. I went back for my car keys and Puck had her sat on the piano. I walked home that night. I wasn't interrupting that," Kitty grinned, wincing as Quinn kicked her in the shin.

"How about we talk about your sex lives, huh? Santana, Brittany, why don't you tell us about the time Mr Shuester caught you in his office?" Puck asked, directing the attention away from him and Quinn. His fiancé was so red in the face he thought she would have a heart attack if they continued.

"You didn't!" Rachel cried, the attention firmly set on Santana now.

"Thank you," Quinn mumbled into his chest. She wasn't ashamed of what she and Puck had done, but that didn't mean she wanted to broadcast it, either.

"Don't you be doing things under the table!" Brittany yelled at them as Puck's hand slowly began to climb up Quinn's thigh.

Well, maybe they wouldn't have a private sex life after all. Or any privacy at all.

"Quinn? Can you come with me for a second?" Rachel asked suddenly, an excited look on her face as she checked her phone.

"Sure," she sighed, sliding across Puck's lap to get out of the booth, purposely pressing her ass against him as she did so. "I want the pancakes," she added, kissing him before letting Rachel pull her towards the bathroom.

The two of them barely fit into a stall, but Quinn figured this was important, so she wasn't complaining as of yet. But, if she fell into the toilet, Rachel was going to lose her head.

"What's so important that you had to squash me in here?" Quinn asked, frowning as she closed and locked the door. Was this some sort of intervention?

"It's Beth. She called me last night for a bit of girl talk and she mentioned you. She doesn't know I've been here with you, but I have her address here. I know you can't just show up, because you can't contact her until she's eighteen or whatever, but I thought maybe you could write to her or something. So, here," Rachel smiled, pulling a piece of paper from her pocket and pressing it into the palm of her hand.

Quinn stared at her for a long moment before lowering her eyes to the paper, biting down on her lip. New York. She had been living in the same city as her baby for years.

"I- thank you," Quinn breathed, hugging her tight, struggling to keep her tears at bay.

"You're welcome, sweetie. Come on, let's go back before you fall in the toilet."

* * *

><p>Quinn was strangely quiet after the meal with the glee club, and it worried Puck a little. She hadn't told him what Rachel had wanted to tell her that was so secret and honestly, it kinda hurt. He thought she trusted him.<p>

"Noah, she's probably just on her period. Go and take her some chocolate, it'll help," Hannah whispered, pressing a bar of chocolate into his hand to take to Quinn.

"Thanks squirt. How are you doing?" Puck asked, grabbing him and his sister a glass of Orange. He didn't really know much about _that _but Quinn had told him before that it hurts. He didn't want his sister to be in pain.

"I'm fine, just sleepy. Tell Quinn that twilight is on again tonight if she wants to join me," Hannah grinned before heading back into the living room, Puck scoffing and heading upstairs. No way was he telling her that shit was on. Who had time for sparkling vampires? Not him, that's who.

Quinn was sat up in the middle of their bed as he reached their room, papers and boxes stacked up around her. Her eyes were suspiciously red, her hair not quite as perfect as it had been this morning.

"Hey, I brought chocolate," he offered, crossing the room to join her on the bed, frowning to see the pink scrapbook of Beth's pictures sat in her lap. He hadn't seen that it years. "What's going on, babe?"

"Rachel gave me Beth's address. She knows we're her parents, she asks to know things about us. I was going to send her a letter, so she has something from me, us. But now I'm not so sure," she admitted, handing him the slip of paper.

"You should write to her, baby. Beth is obviously curious about us and I think she deserves to know things from her mom, not from other people. I know you, I know that you've been searching for a way to contact her for years, to tell her you love her. You're scared and that's ok, but if you don't do this, you'll regret it. You don't have to write it all yourself, I can help you, but I think you should write as much as you can to her," he murmured, pulling her into his lap and kissing her hair.

"Will you hold me while I write it? I can't do it by myself," she whispered, sniffing slightly as she pulled her pad of paper into her lap, feeling him nod against her shoulder.

"You don't have to do anything by yourself anymore," he smiled, kissing her cheek lightly as she settled back against his chest, watching her hand move as she started to write again.

_Dear Beth,_

_I know you're getting older now and you're starting to ask questions about me and about your dad. First of all, I want you to know that I love you, more than I've every loved anyone or anything. You are wanted, baby. I was sixteen when I found out I was pregnant with you. There were a lot of things, bad things, that were in my life back then and I tried so hard to keep you from that. I treasured the days you would kick and bounce around in my stomach and I died on the days you didn't. You are my gift, Beth. My saviour. You and your daddy saved me, and it was time for you to save your mommy, too. I love you so much, and when you were born, it was the best day of my life. You're my perfect thing. I wanted to keep you so much, but I was just a kid. I wasn't good enough for you, so I had to let you go, and its the hardest thing I've ever done. I pray you know how much we love you, how many times a day we think of you and talk about you. I know this is shorter than expected, but there are some things that should be kept for face to face conversation and things you will learn about when you're older. One day we will meet, I promise you this. Until then, I enclose our address and our numbers. I promise if you ever call us, we will answer, no matter what the time. We love you so much, Beth. _

_Love, Quinn and Puck._

"Do you want to add anything?" Quinn asked tearfully, sniffling and looking up at Puck who shook his head and swallowed hard.

"No," Puck answered, his voice husky and broken. She'd nailed it on the head, and he didn't want to ruin it.

"We can talk about this, about her," she whispered, gently setting the letter down and turning to see him better.

"I don't know what to say," he admitted, looking away and sighing, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Will you drive me to the mailing office? I want to get it to her as soon as we can," she sniffed, deciding it better to not push his to talk. She didn't want to hurt him anymore than he was.

"Yeah, let's go," he nodded, getting up and holding his hand out to her, the blonde grabbing on tight as they walked down the stairs, clasping her letter tight to her chest.

* * *

><p>The drive was mostly silent, their hands locked tight together between their seats. Quinn hadn't imagined it would ever be this difficult for them to contact their daughter, but then again she hadn't thought that adoption would be as hard as it was, either.<p>

"It was a mistake, the adoption. I should have kept her, raised her with you," Quinn whispered finally, holding on tighter to his hand as they approached the mailing office. She was so nervous she could barely walk. She wondered how she would be if she actually got to meet her child.

"I know, but we can't change things," Puck sighed, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles as they stepped into the building, heading to the woman at the desk.

"No," she agreed. "We can't."

"How can I help you?" The woman asked kindly, a bright smile on her face.

"I want to post this to my daughter, and I wanted to know how quickly you could get it to her," Quinn breathed nervously, setting the letter down on the counter.

The woman's smile faltered slightly at the word 'daughter', and she could practically read the judgment in her eyes, but it didn't matter. They were both used to it by now.

"Well, usually the fastest is next day delivery, but the letters are yet to be sent our for today. We could get the letter to your daughter tonight through special delivery," the woman explained, her smile mostly false now. "But it's expensive, I'm afraid."

"I'm sure my fiancé and I can afford to post a letter," Puck replied with an equally false smile. This woman didn't know them, or their story. She had no right to judge them.

"Of course," the woman nodded, finding the special delivery stamp and sticking it to the envelope. "That's twenty five dollars, please."

Quinn nodded and plucked the money out of her purse easily, handing it over and taking hold of Puck's hand again.

"It should be in New York by tonight," she assured the couple, adding the letter to the box that the mail man picked up.

"Thank you," Quinn replied, pulling Puck away with her before he noticed the look the woman was giving them. She wasn't in the mood to bail him out of jail tonight.

Puck led her back to the car, opening and closing her door for her before getting in himself, starting the engine and pulling away from the mail office. There was silence for the first few minutes of the drive, but not an awkward silence. Just silence. Quinn had hold of his hand in her lap and every now and again he would squeeze it, to comfort her and to comfort himself.

Quinn blew out a ragged breath as his hand moved slightly, brushing over her inner thigh and squeezing before resting on the smooth skin. His hand felt hotter than usual and so damn good on her body. Oh, God. She felt very hot towards him all of a sudden, glancing down and seeing her reaction to him. Her nipples were so hard, just begging for his attention, and the gush between her thighs caused her to squirm slightly, biting hard on her lip. She needed him, badly so.

"You ok, babe?" Puck asked, hearing her heavy breathing and praying she wasn't crying. He hated to see her cry. What he saw instead was much more his style, her eyes dark with lust.

"Pull over," Quinn ordered breathlessly, bringing her hands to the buttons of her dress, slowly popping them open one by one.

Puck nodded and headed for the parking lot of a closed down store. There was no way he was passing up on this, even if he had no idea what had suddenly made her so horny. As soon as he had cut the engine, she was in his lap, her lips crushing against his and her tongue thrusting deep into his mouth. It was almost as if she was hungry, starving, needy, desperate for him. Her hands ripped open her dress for him, his hands delving inside and snapping her bra into two, finding his favourite set of twins. Quinn moaned loudly and bit down on his lip, arching her back as she began to hump her hips against his, his hands pleasing her breasts, teasing them, loving them. She hadn't felt this aroused in years, and she was so desperate for him that he was all she could see, hear, think. Just him.

"Touch me," she pleaded against his jaw, licking along his jaw and latching onto his skin, sucking greedily to mark him as hers for all to see.

"Gladly," he smirked, his hand slipping down between her legs, stroking along her damp panties, Quinn whimpering and sinking her teeth into his neck. He got the message. Stop teasing.

"Fuck, you're so wet," he breathed in awe, slipping his fingers into her panties and finding her hot and very, very wet and ready for him, Quinn nodding against his shoulder. "Ready?" He asked pressing his finger against her entrance, Quinn nodding eagerly.

"Please."

Bitchy, dominant Quinn was hot as hell, but Quinn begging for it was sexier than anything he'd ever seen. He was just about to give her what she wanted when her phone rang loudly, Quinn groaning and pulling her head from his neck.

"Leave it, baby," he groaned, squeezing her breast to make her moan and clutch tighter to him.

"I can't, it's your sister's ringtone," she sighed, reaching across the car for her phone and answering it. "Hannah? Is everything ok?" She asked breathlessly, biting Puck's neck in order to keep in the cry of pleasure as Puck thrust two fingers into her.

"Quinn? You need to come home. Now," Hannah whispered, her voice carrying a touch of urgency.

"What? Why? What's going on?" She asked, biting hard on her lip as he began to thrust his fingers in and out of her, moving her hips to encourage him.

"Your mom is here."

* * *

><p>Quinn sat frozen across the table from her mother, fully aware that Puck and his family were listening at the door, more than ready to jump in if needed. She was thankful for that.<p>

"Mom, why are you here?" Quinn asked, tightening her hold on her glass of water.

"I came to see you, Quinnie. I went to visit you in New York, and your neighbour told me you hadn't been home in over a month. Your dad called, told me you were with Noah," Judy explained, her voice calm and controlled, looking her daughter over, frowning slightly at the makeup hidden love bite on her neck.

"I was going to call you, I've just been so busy," she lied, taking a sip of her water. In truth she just didn't want to talk to her mother. She hadn't forgiven her for standing by as Russell threw her out, yet. Her mom had never been there for her. Not really.

"I heard a rumour that you're marrying him. Quinnie, tell me that's not true," Judy breathed, toying with her pearls.

"It's true," Quinn answered, lifting her head high and staring her in the eye. She wasn't scared of her, of losing her. She never really had a mom, anyway.

"Why? Why would you marry him? Don't you remember what he did to you? Baby, you can do so much better than him," Judy sighed, reaching for her hand. "You're a beautiful woman, Quinnie. You could have any man you want."

"I have the man I want, mom. I'm marrying him because I love him, and yes I remember what he _gave _me. He gave me my daughter, love, safety, acceptance. Puck loves me for who I am, not for who you want me to be," Quinn snapped, narrowing her eyes at her mother.

"He gave you sexual pleasure, that's all. I want you to come home, darling. Come home with me and we can find you a nice Christian boy. Thomas from church has always thought you were pretty," her mom smiled, squeezing her hand.

"I'm not a possession, mom. I'm not a toy, or a pretty little trophy wife. I'm a person, a woman. I have feelings, too. I'm happy with Puck, I love him. Why can't you accept that?" Quinn demanded angrily, glaring at her. She wasn't her sister. She wasn't going to marry a church boy and be a trophy for the rest of her life. "And I'm not a Christian anymore. I'm thinking of converting to Judaism."

Judy stared at her daughter in horror for a long moment before nodding and getting up. "Come along, Quinnie. We're going home," she ordered, pointing at the door.

"I am home!" Quinn shouted, tears in her eyes. Why did her mother always have to try to ruin every piece of happiness she had? Why wasn't she ever good enough?

"Lucy, we're leaving," Judy told her, her voice clipped and sharp, reminding Quinn of the time her mom had caught her eating the last slice of cheesecake and forced her onto a crazy diet.

"I'm a grown woman, mom. You don't get to dictate how I live my life or who I live it with. I love Puck and I'm marrying him," Quinn answered firmly, straightening up. She wasn't that scared little girl, not anymore. "And my name is Quinn," she added before heading for the door, pushing past Puck and running upstairs.

Puck watched her go before entering the kitchen, facing Judy Fabray head on.

"You need to leave. Quinn is perfect, she's always been perfect. She's a wonderful woman. Kind, sweet, caring, loving. She's her own person and I won't have you coming here to try to ruin her. You ruined the sweet little girl she once was and I'll be damned if I let you ruin my wife. Get out," Puck demanded, clenching his jaw.

Who was she to say how Quinn should live her life? To try to bully her into things. It made him wonder, if maybe she bullied Quinn into the adoption, too.

"You're not good enough for my daughter," Judy replied, slipping her rich fur coat back on.

"Clearly Quinn doesn't think that's the case, as she always finds her way back to him. Maybe you ought to try supporting your child instead of pulling her down," Ruth frowned, joining them. "Quinn is an amazing woman, why can't you be proud of her for who she is?"

Judy was silent for a moment before turning to Puck. "If you truly love my daughter, you'll let her go," she told him before leaving, Hannah watching her car drive away with a scowl.

If you love someone, you let them go. If they don't return, they were never yours.

Puck had let Quinn go far too many times, and she had always found a way to come back.

"What a bitch," Maggie sighed, sitting heavily at the table.

Puck nodded his agreement before heading upstairs after Quinn. If Judy had broken her again, she would have hell to pay.

* * *

><p>"Hey Q, how you feeling?" Puck asked, peering around the door into the dark room, making out the shape of Quinn's body curled up on the bed.<p>

"Come in," Quinn whispered, and he felt relief flood through him as her voice sounded pretty much normal.

But then again, this was Quinn. It could be the calm before the storm. Luckily for him, he enjoyed storms.

"Hannah ordered a pizza for you, extra bacon," he laughed, setting the pizza box on the bed and climbing in beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now that she's gone," she sighed, turning her head to see him, Puck wiping away her stray tears. "I don't know why I let her make me feel like this."

"She's your mom, she'll always have that power, babe," he mumbled, pulling her close and kissing her hair.

"I don't have a mom. I have a mother, but not a mom," she replied, pausing for a long moment before letting out a shaky breath. "That's what's I am to Beth. This is how she'll always feel about me."

"No! No, Quinn, that's not true. You haven't abandoned Beth, you love her and you want her. Beth knows that, especially with your letter. Don't ever say that again," he frowned, pulling her close to kiss her hard, rolling onto her. "Don't say that again."

"I love you," Quinn whispered, stretching up for another kiss. "No matter what my family says, or our friends, or your family, or anyone. I've loved you since we were fourteen, and I'm not letting you go. Not again. I love you. You're mine and I'm yours. I don't care who knows it."

"I love you, too, Quinn," Puck answered before kissing her hard, the blonde grabbing at his jeans and yanking them open greedily. He tugged her panties down and pulled her hips close, Quinn spreading her legs for him. He was just about to slide home when the phone rang, yet again breaking their heated moment.

"What is it, break up Quick day?" He asked, groaning into her neck before rolling off of her.

"We'll continue this," she purred, kissing him before sliding off the bed and heading across the room to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" Quinn asked, giggling at Puck's pouting expression.

"Hi, mommy."

_If you don't want me round, why would you ever want me?_

_If you don't want me round._

* * *

><p><em><strong>I apologize for this chapter being pretty boring, but it was kind of necessary for the next chapter which will be a lot more interesting and drama filled, I promise :)<strong>_

_**Please review and have a wonderful day/night ;)**_

_**Song lyrics used: Paul McDonald and Nikki Reed- Watch Me **_


	13. Oh, you're in my veins and

_**Disclaimer: I don't anything**_

**_A/N: thank y'all for the response to the last chapter and to Beth. I'm glad you liked it, especially to those of you on Twitter that seemed to like it a lot. I love you guys._**

**_Chapter 13! 13 is a really good number for me, and its the 13th today also (well it was when I started writing this lol). Lots of thirteens usually mean something good so I'm hoping it's a sign that my results will be pretty good :)_**

**_I hope you guys don't think I update too much, it's just if I have something written up, I might as well post it rather than waiting weeks on end. I don't see the point in that so here's another chapter!_**

_**Also, just a warning that next week I'm getting my results back, enrolling in college and working Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday for the rhythm and blues festival. So I'll be dead on my feet, so please don't hate me if I can't update as much as usual.**_

_**Ps: Taylor Swift's livestream on Monday will be the death of me.**_

* * *

><p><em>Nothing in this world will ever break my heart again.<em>

_No pain this life will put me through, will ever ever hurt, like you.._

"Hi, mommy."

Quinn let out a loud sob, Puck sitting up instantly, ready to protect her from anything that might upset her. Was it her mom again?

"Beth? Is that you, baby?" Quinn asked, her voice soft and wobbling with the tears that spilled down her cheeks, Puck's eyes growing wide.

"Yes. I got your letter," Beth smiled, Puck getting up to wrap his arms around his fiancé who began to sob uncontrollably, having to hold her up so she didn't collapse.

"Hey, monkey face," Puck grinned, Quinn burying herself in his chest, crying loudly into his skin. Their daughter was on the phone, their perfect thing, the sweet little baby that had cried for everyone but her when she was born.

"Daddy?" Beth asked, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Is that you?"

"Yes, baby. It's us," he smiled, kissing Quinn's hair as she continued to sob into his chest, her hot tears hitting his skin.

"I got your letter, did you mean it? Do you really love me that much?" Beth wondered, a touch of awe in her words. The kids at her school were wrong after all; her parents did love her.

"We love you so much, baby. You're our perfect thing, and we think about you every day. You're loved, Beth. So many people love you," he murmured, gently lowering Quinn down to the floor with him, holding her tight in his arms. She was crying so hard he was actually worried for her.

"Thank you, daddy," she smiled, the title warming Puck up inside. He had been dreaming of hearing her call him that and it brought tears to his eyes. "Where did mommy go? Is she still there? Did she not want to talk to me?"

"Your mom is right here, bug. She's really happy you called. Quinn? Baby, do you want to pick up the phone?" He asked, jostling the blonde in his arms, Quinn nodding her head tearfully and taking the phone from him.

"Hi sweetheart," Quinn breathed, closing her eyes and trying to memorize the sound of her daughter's voice, as she didn't know when the next time would be that she actually got to hear her voice.

"Hi mommy, are you ok? You sound sad," Beth frowned, Quinn shaking her head.

"I'm not sad, baby. I'm just really happy to hear your voice," she sniffed, holding Puck's hand tightly. She had everything she could ever want right here in this moment and she didn't ever want it to end. "I love you so much, Beth."

"I like hearing your voice, too. It's nice. I love you too, momma," Beth smiled, Quinn smiling in response. She could hear the happiness in her baby's voice and it made her heart sing.

"How is your life, sweetie? How is school? What's your favourite colour? Favourite food? Are you happy?" Quinn asked, desperate to know some answers, to get to know things about the sweet little baby she had given up and regretted every day since. Oh, how she wished she had her daughter in her arms right now.

"School is fine, it's boring. I don't like it but mom says I have to go. I like dancing, ballet is good but I joined cheerleading last week. Rachel told me you were a cheerleader too. My favourite colour is blue, not pink. Pink is too common. Every one likes pink, so I like blue. My favourite food? It's pizza! Lots of pizza, with bacon and extra cheese. I'm happy, mommy," Beth told her happily, clearly excited to talk to her about her life and about her favourite things.

"I'd love to see you cheer sometime, you'll be amazing. I want you to know we're so proud of you, Beth. Your dad and I love you so much, I want you to remember that, ok? You're so very loved, baby. I'm glad you're happy, that's all I ever wanted for you," Quinn whispered, handing the phone back to Puck as she started to cry again, holding onto his waist.

"It's my birthday party tomorrow afternoon, cause mom is taking me to LA for my birthday present. Will you come? Mom says it's fine if you want to come. I want you to come to my party," Beth smiled, frowning slightly as she picked up on the sound of Quinn crying again. She seemed to cry a lot.

"We would love to come to your party, right babe?" Puck asked, looking down at Quinn who nodded her head frantically, tears dripping off of her face. "What time and where?"

"Central park at one," Beth beamed, yelling to her mom that they were going to come. "Daddy?"

"Yes, baby?" He asked, rocking Quinn in his arms.

"I love you. Mommy, too. I can't wait to meet you," she whispered, like it was a secret only the three of them should know.

"We love you, too, Beth. So much. We can't wait to see you again, either," Puck answered, and then Beth's voice was gone, the line dead. He set it down on the floor and shifted Quinn in his arms so she was facing him, her face hidden in his neck.

"We can have half an hour to cry and then we're packing and we're leaving for New York to go and see our daughter again," he murmured, kissing her forehead and holding her closer as she nodded, her tears hot against his skin. He wanted to cry too, to break down on the floor and sob for the lost years with their baby like Quinn was doing but he couldn't. He just couldn't do it.

"I love you," she sobbed, her fingers holding on tight to his hair as he rocked her gently in his arms, trying to soothe and calm her down.

"I love you, too. Especially now."

* * *

><p>"Do you have to go?" Hannah asked, watching sadly as Quinn carried her suitcase down the stairs, biting her lip hard. She loved having Quinn around- she was like the sister she never had.<p>

"We'll be back," Quinn promised, setting aside her case and hugging her close. "You can call me whenever you need me, you know that, right?"

"Will you tell Beth I said hi?" She asked, peering up at her, Puck bringing down his case, Ruth and Maggie watching them.

"Yes," Puck nodded, pulling his sister into a hug. The phone call with Beth had both awakened and killed something inside of him and Quinn and they knew they couldn't pass up this opportunity, no matter how much it hurt them to see their baby had grown up without them.

"Drive safe," Ruth told them firmly, hugging Puck tight then Quinn, looking the couple dead in the eyes. The last thing they needed was another accident due to emotions running high.

"We will, mom. Promise," Puck smiled, reaching for the bags, Quinn holding onto his shirt to have some sort of contact.

"And you take care of yourself, young lady. Don't go setting anymore purple pianos on fire," Maggie teased, pulling Quinn into a hug, turning her lips so only Quinn would hear what she said next. "Don't you go hurting yourself by going to New York, pretty girl. Remember that you have a family and a home to come home to, ok? And you tell that sweet little girl that her great gran loves her."

"I'll take care of myself, of both of us," Quinn promised with a glance towards Puck who was putting their bags in the back of the car.

"Good luck. You'll be fine, both of you will. Beth loves you already, you can do this," Ruth smiled, hugging Quinn close. "You'll have made her so proud of you, honey."

"I hope so. We'll call when we get to New York," Quinn promised, hugging them all again before heading out to the car, climbing into the car, glad that Puck had the heating running. She reached over and took his hand in hers, holding on tight as he pulled away from the house.

"We can do this, right?" Puck asked, glancing over at her as they sped down the highway. Neither of them were in the mood to talk much, their thoughts taking up far too much of their mind space. All they could do was hold on tight to each other, like they had been doing since they were sixteen.

"Yes. We can do this," Quinn breathed, with a lot more confidence than she felt. In truth, she felt so scared she was on the verge of vomiting. There were too many things that could go wrong. "I love you. No matter what happens, I have you and you have me."

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>"This is your house?" Puck asked in surprise as Quinn directed him to a huge, expensive looking detached house. He knew she had money, but not this much! This house was something he would expect her parents to own, or a fancy Yale man to buy with her. He couldn't give her this kind of life. Not now, probably not ever.<p>

"Not what you expected?" Quinn asked with a laugh, biting her lip. "I bought this house after a year of being a lawyer, then the fancy car, and the expensive clothing. I thought it would impress my mom, that she would see I was the daughter she could be proud of. I hate this place, it's too big and too empty."

"I couldn't ever give you something like this. Not easily, anyway. This is something you'd have with a big shot businessman from Yale," he sighed, cutting the engine, Quinn frowning and leaning across the car so her face was up close to his

"I would hate for you to give me something like this. This isn't what I want for us, for our future. I want you to build us our house, the house we'll bring our babies home to, the house we can call a home. The house where we make our babies, or have fun trying," Quinn smirked, winking and kissing him, humming in delight. "You know as well as I do that this house isn't me."

"You want me to build our house, Fabray? And what do you want in this house of ours, hm?" He asked, pulling her into his lap, Quinn wrapping her arms around his neck with a smirk before leaning forward to reach his ear.

"I want a huge bed, because once we get our own house, I'm going to spend all day in bed with you, teasing you, pleasing you, loving you," she purred, pressing her lips to his, her body flush against his.

"Mmm, how about we take this inside, before your neighbour reports us for public indecency," he murmured, nodding his head towards Quinn's neighbour who was scowling at them from the porch, Quinn detaching from his neck long enough to look before shrugging and kissing him hard.

"Take me to bed, cowboy," she smirked as they got out of the car, jumping up on him, his hands on her ass to keep her up.

"I'm the cowboy tonight, huh? I thought you liked being the cowgirl?" He laughed, slinging his duffle over his shoulder and carrying her towards the house, the blonde giggling into his ear. He loved her giggles.

"Not tonight," she grinned, dropping off him to unlock the door, moaning as he pressed up against her, bringing his hand up the front of her body to her breast, cupping and squeezing through her bra, her back arching. "Mmm, that's really distracting."

"Open the door, Q," he growled as she rolled her hips back against him, pressing tighter to her. She was such a fucking tease.

"Yes, sir," she purred breathlessly, turning her key in the lock and pushing the door open, gasping as he pinned her up against the wall and kissed her hard, opening her mouth eagerly for his tongue as it licked at her bottom lip.

Puck kicked the door shut and lifted her onto the side table, stepping between her legs as she clutched at his hair, exploring his mouth greedily with her tongue, his hands grabbing at her ass and pulling her closer. Quinn moaned loudly and bucked her hips up at him, wishing he would just touch her already. He seemed to get the hint, as his hand began to climb up her thigh, Quinn throwing her head back against the wall with a loud thud, letting out a strangled moan as he stroked along her panties.

"Ew, gross! Who needs to see _that _at this time of night?" Santana smirked from the stairs, lounging against the banister with a smirk. She was definitely using this to tease them with at the next glee club meal.

Quinn cursed and pushed his hand out from under her dress, slipping off the table and scowling at the Latina. "Why are you here?"

"You told me to house sit, remember?" Santana grinned, crossing her arms. She was enjoying this far too much.

"I remember I asked you to house sit, not to be a peeping Tom," Quinn muttered, rolling her eyes and heading for the stairs, pausing and holding her hand out to Puck. If Santana wanted to stay, that was her problem. She was going to go to bed with her fiancé whether or not the Latina was here. She needed the comfort that only Puck could give her.

"Whatever. I'm going now, anyway. Feel free to do freaky shit to each other all night long," Santana winked, grabbing her bag and leaving the house, slamming the door shut behind her.

"You asked Santana to house sit? Babe, she's probably turned your bedroom into a drinking den," Puck laughed, shaking his head and letting her lead him upstairs, following her down the hall to her bedroom. It was huge, no surprise there. What did surprise him were the framed pictures on her dresser. There were several of Beth when she was a baby, but surprisingly there were pictures of him and Quinn too. It was nice, knowing she'd kept them, too.

"If I find empty beer cans under the covers, I'll kill her," Quinn mumbled in response, yanking back her covers, sighing in relief. It was as clean and pristine as she had left it. Thank God.

Quinn tugged the zipper down on her dress and let it drop to the floor, climbing into the bed and looking back over her shoulder, flirting for all she was worth as she dropped her bra to the bed and tossed it to the floor, lying back against the pillows. Puck's eyes roamed her body hungrily as she tugged at her thong, sliding it down her thighs and kicking it at him, spreading her body out for him with a sigh.

"So beautiful," he mumbled, tugging his shirt off, Quinn licking her lips, watching as his hands fell to his waistband, sitting up slightly as his jeans dropped to the floor. Damn his sudden urge to wear boxers. "Come here," he smirked, beckoning the blonde over to him.

Quinn pushed up on her knees and crawled over to him, leaning forwards to kiss at his chest, licking at his nipple before continuing down his skin, nipping and sucking at his abs, kissing below his belly button before pulling his boxers down, licking her lips and grinning at him before wrapping her hand around his erection, stroking it before leaning in to kiss the head, moaning in delight and pressing it up against his stomach, pressing a delicate kiss to his balls before looking up at him and guiding him into her mouth. _Fuck. _Puck thrust his hands into her hair with a groan as she pushed forwards, taking him in as far as she could, forcing her throat to relax, her nose pressed into his skin before she pulled back and started to suck, her head bobbing up and down on him.

She shifted from where she knelt on the bed, releasing him from her mouth with a wet pop, stretching up to kiss him hard, Puck pushing her back on the bed and following her down, spreading her legs open, testing her wetness with his fingers. He pushed two inside her as he ducked his head to lick at her clit, Quinn screaming out and grabbing at the wooden poles of her headboard.

"Please. Please, I need you," Quinn begged, her hips moving, rocking, humping against his face. It was true, she needed him. Needed the comfort from him, the reassurance that they could do this, that they could handle seeing Beth again.

"Babe, protection," he mumbled against her thigh, Quinn shaking her head and pulling him up to kiss her.

"No, I want to feel you. I don't want anything between us. Please," she breathed, kissing his throat, tears building in her eyes from the emotion of the day.

"I love you," Puck murmured, robbing her of the ability to answer as he joined them together, Quinn gasping and grabbing at his back, hooking her legs around his waist, her feet crossing to press him closer to her.

"I love you, too."

They spent the rest of the night comforting each other in the best way they knew how- sweet, hushed murmurs of love as their bodies moved together. There could be consequences of their actions, they both knew that, but they needed the closeness, the intimacy. Seeing Beth again could potentially rip them apart again, and it caused them to hold tighter to each other, Puck hugged tight to her back as he moved inside her. They could do this. Together.

* * *

><p>"Are you nervous?" Puck asked as he and Quinn made their way through central park, Quinn's hand trembling in his sweaty hold. Neither of them had been able to eat due to the nerves, and he hoped she wouldn't pass out or anything.<p>

"Yes. What if she hates me? What if we're still not good enough for her?" Quinn breathed, swallowing hard to try to keep her nerves at bay, clinging to his hand desperately.

"She doesn't hate you, baby. She wouldn't have asked us to be here if she didn't want to see us. Just breathe, babe," he murmured, bringing their joined hands to his lips.

"No matter what happens, we still have each other, right? We're doing this together?" She whispered, stopping as they reached what looked like a huge birthday party, squeezing his hand tight.

"Yes, we have each other," he promised, pulling her close, hugging her as she clung to him, breathing him in for strength.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Beth cried, spotting the couple, pushing through the crowds of her friends and taking off running towards them.

Quinn pulled away from Puck as she heard Beth's yells, tears filling her eyes at the sight of the little blonde hurtling towards them. "Oh," she breathed, letting go of his hand and walking towards Beth, dropping to her knees in the grass, catching her daughter as she threw herself into her arms, clutching her to her chest.

"You came," Beth breathed, holding tight to her mother, Quinn holding onto her as tight as she could without hurting her.

"We said we would, monkey face," Puck grinned, kneeling beside them, stroking his fingers through his daughter's blonde curls. She looked so much like Quinn, hazel eyes and all.

"Hi daddy," she grinned, leaning over to hug him tight, Quinn's arms still wrapped around her waist, the three of them hugging in the grass.

Quinn was crying again, leaning into Puck as he held his girls close, closing his eyes for a long moment. This was all he had ever wanted from life- Quinn and Beth. A family with the blonde love of his life. It was perfect, absolutely perfect and he prayed nothing would ruin this for him and for Quinn. Or for Beth. Beth deserved the best of everything; she was the best of everything.

"Quinn, Noah, how lovely to see you both again," Shelby smiled, approaching them with a bright, yet slightly tight smile.

"Mom! I told you they would come," Beth grinned, pulling free and joining her mom. And just like that, their perfect little moment was over.

"I'm glad, sweetheart. Why don't you go and open a few gifts?" Shelby asked, the little blonde frowning and rolling her eyes. Her parents were the only gift she really wanted.

"Mommy? Daddy? You're still going to be here when I'm done, right?" Beth asked, arching her brow at her parents who nodded and smiled.

"Sure will, monkey face. Go ahead and open your stuff," Puck grinned, his arm around Quinn's waist, giving her support and comforting himself by touching her. It was amazing how much Beth looked like Quinn. He was glad of that, watching Beth run over to her presents with a happy smile.

"I'm glad you both decided to come; it would have broken Beth's heart if you didn't. But, I think we should establish a few rules. I appreciate that you're older now, more mature, but if there is any funny business, I will ask you _both _to leave. Quinn, that's more for you than for Puck," Shelby sighed, looking the blonde in the eye.

"That's a little uncalled for," Puck argued, stroking his fingers over Quinn's hip. Yes, Quinn had done a lot of bad things in their senior year, but where was the forgiveness? It had been eight years since then.

"No, it's fine. I know what I did was wrong, but I'm not that girl anymore," Quinn told her, slipping her hand beneath the hem of Puck's shirt to touch his skin, needing the comfort it gave her.

"Alright. Well, I'm glad you're here, for Beth's sake. Just, don't overwhelm her with your past. She doesn't need to know everything, not yet at least," Shelby replied, her eyes falling to Quinn's hand, catching the sparkle of a ring there. Now their closeness made sense. Part of her had thought that Puck was simply looking out for and giving the blonde comfort like he had always done, but she figured that was no longer the case. "Are you two together now?"

"Yes, we're engaged," Quinn answered proudly, smiling and hugging her body closer to his. She could see the glimmer of jealousy in Shelby's eye, and it made her feel extra protective of Puck. Maybe she wasn't over the fling between her and Puck after all.

"Fine. I just don't want any of this to upset or confuse Beth," she smiled before leaving them, heading over to the other parents who were whispering whilst looking over at Puck and Quinn. They were used to that by now.

"The hell was that?" Puck asked, shaking his head and kissing Quinn's hair. Now he understood what Quinn meant when she said that Shelby targeted her.

"I guess she still hates me. Maybe she's jealous that I have you, or that I'm Beth's mother, or that our baby came looking for us. It's fine, babe. We're here for Beth, not for her," Quinn shrugged, taking his hand as they began to walk over to the party.

"Beth wants us here, so we're here. It's not her problem," Puck replied, not bothered at all what Shelby wanted. They were here for their daughter who wanted them there.

"Mom, dad, will you come sit with me?" Beth asked, appearing behind them and raising her eyebrow at them.

"Sure baby, let's go," Quinn smiled, taking her hand and leading her over to an empty table, Puck heading off to grab them some food.

"Are you going to marry my dad?" Beth asked as they sat at the table, studying Quinn's ring with a smile. She liked it, especially if it meant her parents were together.

"Yes, I'm marrying him," Quinn nodded, keeping Beth's hand in hers. She couldn't bear to let go, not now, not ever. She had Puck's smile, and that warmed her heart.

"Can I ask you something?" Beth wondered, looking up into her mother's eyes. She had always felt left out at Christmas when her mom's family and Rachel came to visit. They all had dark hair and could sing, whilst she was small and blonde and liked to dance. One time she had heard her aunt ask her mom if Quinn had eaten properly when pregnant with her, and it made her wonder if there was something wrong with her, if there was a reason she was given away.

"You can ask me anything," Quinn whispered, a lump of emotion in her throat. She knew from the look on Beth's face which question was coming next. The dreaded question.

"Why didn't you want me?" Beth asked quietly, biting on her lip. "Is there something wrong with me? Is it cause I'm small and I don't like to sing like Rachel does?"

"I did want you, Beth. I wanted you more than I've ever wanted anything in my life, but I wasn't good enough for you. There was something wrong with me, not you. Never you, baby. You're perfect, my perfect thing. I was only sixteen when you were born, and I was scared. I didn't have money, I couldn't give you the life that you deserved. I wish, more than anything, that I could to back and keep you. Giving you up is the biggest mistake of my life, I never should've let you go. I love you, Beth, so much. You're every thing to me and your daddy and I don't want you to ever think that you're not good enough because you are. You're better than all of us," Quinn told her tearfully, holding both her hands in hers. "I wouldn't choose anyone over you, not ever. You're my perfect, wonderful baby and I love you so much."

"Promise that you'll stay. I don't want you to go away again. I want you to be my mom, too. Please?" Beth asked, holding tight to her hands.

"I promise that I'll try to be in your life as best I can," she promised, looking up as Puck joined them. "We both will."

"I don't like the sound of that," Puck teased, sitting down ans handing Beth a sandwich.

"You're silly," Beth replied, Quinn bursting into fits of laughter, almost choking on the apple she had taken a bite from.

"Yes, he is, bug," Quinn grinned, watching as Puck pulled their daughter onto his lap, simply holding her whilst she ate. It was such a simple act, but it made her heart swell and she couldn't help but take a picture. It reminded her of the picture she had of a one year old Beth sat on his lap in senior year.

They ate their food happily, exchanging jokes back and forth, savouring the fact that they actually got to be together even for a little while.

* * *

><p>"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you," Shelby sang, carrying the bright pink birthday cake to the huge table filled with children, Beth's eyes lit up as the cake was placed before her, grinning happily.<p>

Quinn was snapping pictures none stop, so that she and Puck would have something left once today was over. Beth looked so happy and she couldn't remember being happier than she was now, wrapped up in Puck's arms, besides the day Beth had been born.

"Make a wish, darling," Shelby encouraged, stepping back and clasping her hands beneath her chin.

"I wish that I ha- daddy!" Beth yelled, jumping off of her seat and running to a dark haired man who approached them with a grin, Puck scowling and tightening his hold on Quinn's hand. Who was this punk?

"Who the hell is this guy?" Puck hissed, Quinn frowning and shrugging. She had no idea who this man was or why he had hold of her daughter.

"David, I'm glad you made it," Shelby beamed, stretching up to kiss the man, Beth giggling at them. Mystery solved- it was Shelby's partner.

"Me too. Hello, I haven't met _you _before," David smiled, extending his hand to Quinn who smiled and shook his hand.

"I'm Quinn. It's nice to meet you," Quinn smiled happily, Beth explaining to him that Quinn is her mom too.

"And I'm Puck. Beth's dad and Quinn's fiancé," Puck grinned falsely, interrupting them. He didn't like the way Beth was looking at this man like he was her hero, or that he was eyeing Quinn up like some kind of dessert, or that Quinn seemed to enjoy the attention. This guy was a creep, pure and simple, and if he didn't stop flirting with Quinn, his head would be missing in the next three seconds.

"Nice to meet you," David replied before turning back to Quinn. "May I interest you in a glass of wine?"

Quinn giggled and nodded, kissing Puck's cheek before heading off across the grass with David, seemingly enjoying the conversation. Fuck this guy.

"Cake?" Shelby offered, nudging Puck to get his attention. It was then that he realised this wasn't the first time she had asked. It wasn't his fault; he just didn't like some punk swooping in here and stealing his blondes. He was gonna have to crack a few skulls.

"Yeah, thanks," he nodded, trying to focus on the party, Beth climbing into his arms to eat her cake.

Puck took the slice of cake and bit down on it bitterly, watching Quinn throw her head back laughing, a glass of red wine in hand. This sucked. Was this how Quinn felt when he was with Shelby? Watching what could be a happy family? If so, it hurt like a bitch and he made a mental note to apologise for that later.

* * *

><p>"Is this for me?" Beth asked as Quinn knelt before her and handed her a pink box, Puck stood beside them. They had waited until they were alone to give Beth her gift, just in case Shelby decided it was against her rules to give it to Beth.<p>

"Yes, it's for you," Quinn smiled, using Puck's arm to pull herself back up, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Beth grinned and lifted the lid from the box, moving aside the tissue paper, a gasp leaving her lips at the picture contained within the silver frame.

"That's from the day you were born. See, there's you in your mom's arms, and there's me, and there's Mercedes," Puck smiled, pointing out the different people in the picture.

"Daddy, where's your hair?" Beth asked, pointing at the younger Puck who had shaved his head then because of that fucking birthmark.

"He shaved it off a few weeks before you were born," Quinn laughed, her head on his chest. Whilst the rest of the school missed the mohawk, Puck's shaved hair had turned her on. A lot.

"Oh. You look happy, mommy," Beth smiled, touching her mom's face in the picture. She was happy when she was born after all.

"Besides today, that's the best day of my life. You're our beautiful little girl, and we've loved you ever since we knew about you. You're so special," Quinn whispered, kissing her forehead lovingly and pulling her into a hug. "I love you so much."

"Any time you want to see us, or speak to us, you call us, ok? We want to be in your life as much as you want us to be. We love you, baby," Puck murmured, hugging his daughter tight, savouring the sweet smell of her. This already hurt too much.

"I love you, too," Beth sniffed, pulling Quinn to her, hugging both her parents as tight as she could. She was slightly afraid they would push her away, but instead they held her tighter. It was perfect. A real, perfect family moment.

"Beth, are you ready to go?" Shelby called, ruining their moment yet again. It would never be just the three of them. Not ever and Quinn hated it.

"Will you miss me?" Beth asked, studying her parents carefully, seeing the tears in their eyes. She didn't want them to be sad, but it looked like maybe she couldn't stop them from being sad, no matter how much she wanted to.

"More than anything," Puck answered, sighing before taking her hand, leading her to Shelby and David, her picture clasped tight to her chest. It hurt like hell to let go.

"Bye daddy. Bye mommy," Beth whispered, waving at them and blowing them both a kiss before climbing into the car, fastening her seatbelt.

Quinn grabbed onto Puck's hand as tight as she could as the engine started and the car drove away, taking their daughter away too. They watched until all they could see was darkness, stood there with nothing but the sweet smell of Beth lingering on their skin, just like the last time they had to let her go. And it didn't hurt any less.

"Bye bye, baby," Quinn breathed, closing her eyes tight before she started to cry, tears running down her cheeks and huge, painful sobs wracking her body.

Puck pulled her into his chest and held her as she cried and cried, her body shaking in his arms, her pained and strangled screams muffled by his shoulder as she completely broke down. He could almost hear her heart breaking and it ripped him apart inside, tearing at his already ripped up heart. Nobody said it would be easy, but then again nobody said that it would be this hard.

* * *

><p>"You haven't said much since we got back from Beth's party," Quinn noted as she crawled into bed beside him, lying down in his arms. She had spent the past hour locked in her bathroom crying in the shower, whilst Puck found other ways to let out his pain. Thank God she had a work out room complete with punching bags.<p>

"I don't know if there's anything left to say," Puck admitted, his voice rough and husky, his eyes closed. He was just too tired. Too tired for talking about what happened today, too tired for thinking about how much it hurt to let Beth go.

They both knew it would hurt to say goodbye to Beth again, to leave her behind again, to carry on their lives without her. It had ripped a huge hole in their hearts and they truly didn't know if they could ever heal from the loss of their child, but they had each other and they had to try to keep living. For themselves and for Beth who they had promised they would be ok.

"You can cry, Puck. You can cry, you can shout, you can break things, you can scream. You don't have to bottle it all up inside, baby. We have to be able to talk about this if we're going to try to move on, to continue our lives. Just talk to me," she pleaded, cupping his face in her hands.

"How are we supposed to go on without our baby? How are we supposed to keep letting her go?" He asked before he finally began to cry, letting out the tears he had been holding in since they were sixteen, burying his face in Quinn's breasts and sobbing loudly as she held him.

"I don't know. But we've done it before and I promise we'll find a way to do it again. Together. We're gonna get through this together, I promise," she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks as she held him tight, hushing him and trying to give him the comfort he had given her yesterday night.

"It hurts, baby. It's supposed to be hurting less by now, not more," he sobbed, shaking his head. He didn't understand it at all. Why was it hurting them more and more every year? Was it because they had missed out on yet another year of their child's life? Was it because they'd had to say goodbye to their daughter yet again?

Yes. It was.

"I know, Noah, I know. I promise you that we're going to have another baby one day. Our own baby that we can keep. I promise one day I'm gonna give you another baby, or two, or as many as we want. We're going to get married and have a big family and nothing will ever hurt us this way again. We won't ever feel this way again, I promise you," she vowed tearfully, kissing his hair as he clung to her body.

He had been strong for her for so many years, and it was finally her turn to be strong for him. She would make sure that they would never, ever feel this kind of loss again.

"I promise one day, we'll be a family for real."

_I've paid my dues but it's a debt I'm done paying._

_I'm standing strong but I'm still on my knees praying that_

_Nothing in this world will ever break my heart again._

* * *

><p><em><strong>I started this chapter hoping to make it happy and great for Quinn and Puck, but I ended up crying by the end of it. I guess life isn't always easy, especially not for them. I promise I'll try not to make the next chapter as sad.<strong>_

_**Please review and have an amazing day!:)**_

_**Song lyrics used: Hayden Panettiere- Nothing In This World Will Ever Break My Heart Again**_


	14. I cannot get you out

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_

_**A/N: thank you for 100 reviews! That's amazing! Thank you! You've made me feel so special right now! I love you!**_

_**To the guest review that complained about the length of my author's notes and the planning of my story, can I ask that you simply leave my story if you don't like it, rather than leaving negative reviews. I guess haters gonna hate, so I'm just gonna shake it off ;) (Taylor Swift reference.)**_

_**Lastly, I got my GCSE results back today! I'm pretty proud of them! I got two A* for English and an A in History! Those are the A Levels I've enrolled to do today, too :)**_

_**Enjoy..**_

* * *

><p><em>What if I told you that it's just a front, to hide the insecurities I have?<em>

_And what if I told you that I'm not as strong, as I like to make believe I am?_

It had been a pretty rough night for Puck and Quinn, the two having barely slept due to the nightmares and the overthinking. The majority of the night they had spent wrapped up in each other's arms, sometimes murmuring words of comfort and at others, saying nothing at all. Quinn was glad they were no longer pretending to be together, as she wouldn't have been able to cope with the events from yesterday if she didn't have him. The same was for Puck- if he didn't have her, he would most likely have turned to alcohol. Quinn was good for him.

Because they had spent most of the night not sleeping, neither of them needed to question if the other was awake that morning. They were going to spend the day in New York before heading back to Wisconsin later in the evening, so Quinn could check in on her office and he could check up on his builders and make sure they hadn't run his business into the ground already.

"We should probably get up," Puck murmured, his voice husky with sleep, drawing patterns on the smooth skin of her ribs.

"Mmm, we should," Quinn agreed, but didn't make an effort to move besides the slight arching of her back, forcing his morning arousal against her ass with a happy sigh, twisting in his arms, her body rubbing against his.

"You're not making it any easier, babe," he muttered, kissing her neck lightly, the blonde arching her neck back with a moan.

Quinn smirked at that and twisted in his arms, pinning him down and straddling him with a devious smile. She leant down to kiss him, her hair falling around their faces like a golden blonde curtain, his hands finding her bare ass.

"I'm so horny for you," she breathed, licking her lips and stroking along his cheek before latching onto his neck. Her hand reached between them to find his hardness, guiding him to her entrance.

"It's all yours, baby," he told her, reaching up to run his fingers through her hair, the blonde letting out a hum of pleasure, leaning down to kiss him again, her tongue stroking along his lower lip.

She was just about to guide him inside her when the doorbell rang loudly, fists hammering on the wood. "Are you kidding me?" She groaned, hiding her face in his neck as if it would make their visitor leave them to welcome the morning together. "Go away," she whined, Puck sighing and sitting up.

"It might be Beth," he sighed, getting out of bed and pulling on the sleep shorts Quinn had pulled off him last night, the blonde pouting for a moment before slipping out of the covers.

"If it's not Beth, whoever it is will get a slap in the face," she grumbled in response, grabbing her robe and pulling it on, tying it shut hastily as she followed him down the stairs, her bare feet pattering against the wooden floor.

Puck laughed at her before unlocking and opening the door, Quinn pressing up against his back to see who had decided to come and interrupt her morning. Of course it had to be Rachel stood beaming on the doorstep; no one else would dream of visiting them this early.

"Hi guys! Santana told me you were back!" Rachel smiled brightly, heading into the house, something furry tucked away in her arms. "Ooh, did I interrupt something?" She asked, noting their state of undress, Quinn's rumpled hair, Puck's love bite covered abs and the cleavage Quinn was showing through her hastily tied pink robe.

"Yes, you did," Puck replied rudely, scowling at Quinn who decided to try to lodge her elbow into his ribs. "What? It's true!"

"Privacy, Puck. Our sex life is private," Quinn reminded him, rolling her eyes and turning her eyes back to Rachel, crossing her arms tight. She was pissed at the brunette for deciding that _now_ was a great time to drop by. "What do you want, Rachel?" She sighed, trying to be polite but failing considerably, Puck sniggering behind her.

"Santana told me you guys were back and I got a call today from my agent and I have to be in rehearsal all day. I don't have anyone to watch Marie and I figured you two could maybe watch her for a few hours?" Rachel asked, batting her eyelashes and pouting at them. It was only a couple of hours whilst she put the finishing touches to Wicked. It would be fine, right?

"And what makes you assume we'll catsit for you? Who usually looks after the thing when you're in rehearsal?" Puck frowned, leaning against the banister of the stairs and rolling his eyes. He wasn't in the mood for Rachel and her theatrics right now, not when they had interrupted sex with his fiancé. And it wasn't helping that he knew for a fact Quinn was completely naked beneath that thin, pink satin robe. In fact, he was sure he could see her nipples from here.

"Quinn does," Rachel told him happily, dumping her cat into Quinn's arms with a grin, the blonde rolling her eyes at Puck who raised his eyebrows at her. Since when was she a cat lady?

"It's fine, Rach, we'll watch the cat. Good luck," Quinn sighed, making a move to put the cat down before it decided her breasts were a great new scratching post.

"Thank you!" Rachel squealed, hugging the blonde before hurrying to the door, pausing and smirking at the couple. "By the way, Quinn, your neighbour asked me to tell you and Puck to keep the noise down. She said she's glad you're happy but she doesn't need to hear you too making a baby," she grinned before leaving quickly, Puck scowling as she closed the door.

"I guess I'll call my receptionist and tell her I can't drop in today, she'll have to e-mail me the upcoming clients I'm listed for," Quinn sighed, checking the cat wasn't clawing at her sofa before heading for the stairs.

"No, it's fine, you go into work. I can handle the cat, I mean it's just a cat, right?" He shrugged, using the ties of her robe to pull her close, tugging on them so her robe fell open, baring her body to him. "Mmm, beautiful," he murmured, hooking his arms around her waist to pull her closer, her bare skin soft against his.

"You'd be surprised how much trouble that cat can cause," she muttered, shaking her head with a sigh. She had once had to buy a whole new suite for the living room after the damn cat decided to scratch open the cushions of one of her sofas.

"I never had you down for a cat lady," he teased, kissing her forehead as her hands smoothed down over his chest to pull him closer by the waistband of his shorts. "It's kind of hot actually. You like pussies."

Quinn laughed at the insinuation and shook her head, stretching up so her lips met his ear, slipping her hand between their bodies. "I've had Santana, remember? I much prefer this over _that_," she breathed, cupping and squeezing his bulge, licking her lips. "But if you want that, you can use mine any time you want," she purred, bucking her hips at him, a naughty smile on her face.

"That's cruel, Fabray," he grumbled, crossing his arms as she grinned and headed for the stairs. Trust her to to flirt and play with him like that, the dirty little tease. "I swear to God, Quinn, if you don't stop that!" He warned, narrowing his eyes at the blonde who decided to flash him on her way up the stairs.

"You'll what? Punish me? I'd like to see you try," she giggled, dropping her robe to the floor and continuing upstairs. It was far too easy to play with him.

"Just wait and see," he called after her, rolling his eyes and going to hunt down that damn cat.

* * *

><p>"Hey, what are you doing?" Puck asked leaning against the doorframe of Quinn's closet, watching as she emptied a cardboard box on the floor, spreading papers across the carpet.<p>

"I could ask you the same thing," Quinn grinned, looking up at him. "Why do you have the cat on your shoulder?" She asked, spotting the black fur of Rachel's cat curled up on his shoulder.

"She likes me. You know, I think we should get a cat or something," he shrugged, lifting his hand to stroke the cat absently, sitting down across from the blonde who was separating papers. "What's all this?"

"These are papers, pictures, videos and momentos from everything I've done in life. I figured I might as well sort through them before we go back to Wisconsin," she smiled, holding up a picture of them from senior year.

"Cool, can I look through these?" He asked, gesturing at the pile of photographs on the floor. He hadn't seen that picture of them in senior year before and now he was curious to see what other pictures she had been keeping from him.

"Go ahead," she muttered, distracted by the stack of papers from Yale. Was she supposed to keep all of this or what? There was a lot of her past boxed up in here and she really only felt comfortable sharing it with Puck.

Puck grinned happily and began to flip through the pictures, smiling to see most of them were of the glee club. There were several he had never seen before, like the picture of them at a football game for example. Why hadn't he seen that before? It looked like it was taken from sophomore year. He shrugged and continued to flip through them, pausing at the tiny square picture he had only heard of before from Finn.

Quinn glanced over at him, expecting him to be gloating and teasing about the pictures she had of him, frowning to see he was focused on one picture in particular. "What have you got there, babe?" She asked, leaning forwards to try to see what he had, her eyes growing wide before she snatched it from him and swiftly tore it to pieces before he had chance to stop her.

"Why did you do that?" He asked, watching her carefully. It was the first time he had ever properly seen a picture of her as a little kid, as Lucy. He hadn't really seen the campaign posters Lauren had apparently posted everywhere, probably because he was too busy taking out his anger of Quinn choosing Finn over him again.

"I didn't want you to see that," she muttered, grabbing the pictures from him and throwing them towards the trash can sat in the corner, cursing as she cut her finger on one of them. "I've got it!" She snapped as Puck tried to take hold of her now bleeding skin, getting up hastily. "Just leave me alone."

"Quinn," he tried, getting up and slowly reaching for her, the blonde pushing him away from her, her tear filled eyes breaking his heart.

"Get out!" Quinn cried, pushing his hands away as he tried to reach for her again. She didn't want him to hold her or tell her he loved her. No, he didn't love her. Couldn't love her. "Just go!"

Puck stared at her for a moment before sighing and nodding, scooping up the cat and leaving the closet, Quinn slamming and locking the door behind him. It hurt that she didn't want him to see who she was, to trust him with everything she was. He could hear her crying and he couldn't help but sink down against the door, fighting back his own tears as he listened to her sob.

* * *

><p>"Quinn? I brought you something to drink. Open the door, baby, please. Don't hide from me," Puck pleaded, leaning against the door, a glass of Orange juice in his hand. The juice without the bits in, because he knew she hated that.<p>

He heard her weight shift against the door and sighed in relief as he heard the lock click, gently easing the door open in case she was sat near it. He didn't want to hurt her.

Quinn was sat in the far corner of the room, the pictures still tossed by the trash. She looked up as he closed the door behind him, watching him pick up the pictures with a sniffle.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, sitting down beside her and pressing the pictures into her hands so he wouldn't upset her by coming across another picture that held some sort of emotional trigger for her.

"No," she whispered, leaning into him with a sniffle, closing her eyes as he pulled her close and kissed her hair.

"I love you, Quinn. You know that, right?" He asked, running his fingers through her hair as she turned her face into his chest. He wished she could see herself the way he saw her, wished she could love herself the way he loved her.

Quinn was silent for a long moment before she reached for the pictures, finding the one she was looking for and pulling away from him before pressing it to his chest. Puck loved her, she knew he did, and she wanted to let him in, to let him take down her walls. So maybe this would be a good start. "I want you to see. I want you to see me," she whispered, noting his cautious look. She knew he didn't want to upset her.

Puck nodded and looked down at the picture, taking in the image of a little girl with red hair, glasses and braces. She was chubby and he smiled at how cute she was. How could she hate who she used to be? Before he had chance to say anything, she handed him another photo, her eyes cast to the ground.

"I don't understand, what's so wrong with who you were?" He asked, his fingers gentle on her face, tilting her chin so she had to look at him. "Why do you try so hard to keep this hidden from everyone? From me?"

"I was a miserable little girl. I was fat, I had glasses, braces, acne. I didn't have friends, nobody would talk to me. You can't honestly tell me that we would be here right now if I still looked like that. We wouldn't have had Beth if I still looked that way, because you wouldn't have given me a second glance," she breathed, fighting the urge to take the pictures back. She wanted to, but she wanted him to see, to understand why she had done things the way she had.

"We would still be here, Q. I love you, not the way you look. You're my soulmate, and whether you're Quinn or Lucy, I still love and want you. Things might have been a little different for us but I would've found you and loved you anyway, ok? I think Lucy is beautiful, and I think you're beautiful, because of her. You've overcome so much and I'm so proud of you. I love you, Quinn," he murmured, stroking her cheek, the blonde letting out a soft sob and leaning forward to kiss him.

"I love you, so much," she whispered tearfully, kissing him again. "All my life I've been alone. Please, don't let me be alone again."

"You have no idea how much I love you," he told her, bringing her into his lap, cradling her face in his hands. "I won't ever let you be alone again. I love you," he promised, staring deep into her eyes.

"Especially now?" She asked quietly, leaning into his touch, rubbing her nose against his.

"Especially now," he smiled, kissing her hair and pulling her into a hug, sighing as she cuddled into him. He hoped she would be ok now, that she would trust him more and stop bottling things up. "I'm gonna take you out tonight, just you and me."

Quinn smiled at that and kissed his cheek, giggling as Rachel's cat let out a loud mew from the doorway. "Or us and the cat," she grinned, scooping the cat into her arms, holding her against their chests.

"No way am I dragging that fleabag around New York," he grumbled, pulling her closer as she laughed into his chest.

* * *

><p>"Babe! Are you nearly done?!" Puck yelled up the stairs, fixing the collar of his shirt in the mirror. It had taken him twenty minutes to coax the damn cat into the kitchen and Quinn could kiss his wounds better for insisting he did the job.<p>

"Is the cat in the kitchen?" Quinn asked from the top of the stairs, Puck's jaw dropping when he saw her. She looked gorgeous, wonderful, perfect.

"Yeah," he mumbled, watching her descend down the stairs like some sort of Angel. The black looked amazing against her pale skin, the fabric revealing enough of her creamy breasts to make him want to take her there and then against the wall. Her blood red lips were going to have him hard enough to lift the table.

"Mmm, you look handsome," she purred, smoothing her hands over his chest. Puck in a shirt did something to her, made her feel things deep in her body, lust pooling low in her stomach. If she didn't get him naked at some point tonight, she would explode.

"And you look beautiful, sexy, gorgeous," he growled, punctuating each word with a hot kiss to her throat, pulling her close to his body. "As much as I would love to take you against the wall right now, we have to get going if we're going to meet Mercedes on time." And Sam too, but he was still pissed with the blonde for kissing Quinn, so he wasn't bringing him up.

"There's always the bathroom," she breathed, winking at him and grabbing her clutch from the side table, heading for the door.

"You can't just say things like that, Q. Not unless you want me to go off like a rocket," he growled, crowding her up against her car, the blonde gasping in surprise, a moan leaving her lips as he palmed her breast.

"Poor baby," she teased, reaching between their bodies to find and cup him through his jeans, rubbing and squeezing to encourage the hardness she felt growing there. "If you're going to go off, make sure you're inside me when you do."

Puck grabbed her hand and pinned it to the car, growling into her throat and letting his free hand slip into the slit of her dress, travelling up her thigh and thrusting between them. "You'd love that right now, wouldn't you, baby? You're so wet," he smirked, slipping his hand into her panties. Quinn moaned as his fingers teased her, gripping her car as he forced two fingers into her aching body. "You want it?"

"I want it. Please," she breathed, biting hard on her lip, Puck groaning as he watched the moisture from her tongue glisten on her lip.

"You can have it, baby. As soon as we get home," he smiled, pulling away from her and getting into the car, leaving Quinn angry and turned on as she climbed in beside him.

"Tease," she grumbled as the engine started. She loved to tease him, but hated when he teased her. And he hated the smug grin on his face as she squirmed in her seat.

* * *

><p>"Are you guys done yet?" Sam asked, rolling his eyes at the couple across the table. Puck and Quinn had been feeding each other, touching each other and whispering all night and it was annoying him now.<p>

"Jealous?" Puck asked, feeding Quinn a strawberry, the blonde giggling and swallowing it before kissing him, letting him taste the juice from the fruit. Mercedes had gone to collect more drinks from the bar and he knew Sam was practically seething by this point. "You like that?" He asked his fiancé, Quinn licking her lips and nodding.

"I'd rather you fed me something else, though," she whispered, nipping at his ear with her teeth, her fingers stroking along his thigh. They had been at it all night, whispering dirty things to each other and teasing, Puck having almost fucked her on the table when she insisted on sucking on an olive and Quinn almost coming at the table when he licked the chocolate from a strawberry, its juices lingering on his lips.

"Have you set a date for the wedding?" Mercedes asked happily as she set the drinks down and sat back beside Sam, smiling at the couple. She loved seeing them together again.

"I want a Christmas wedding," Quinn smiled, dropping a grape into her mouth, pushing it into her cheek purposely, feeling Puck's hand grip her thigh tighter.

"You do? What else do you want?" Puck asked, sneaking his hand up her dress, stroking her through her wet panties. It was quite funny, actually, how easily he had worked her up with her ex sitting across the table from them.

"I want to dance with you," she breathed, leaning in close to him. "I want to touch you, kiss you. Out there surrounded by everyone," she whispered, nodding her head towards the crowd of dancing people.

"Lets go," he grinned, taking her hand and leading he'd towards the crowds. They were engulfed pretty quickly, the thudding music covering the loud moan Quinn let out as he pulled her close, feeling his hardness against her thigh. She couldn't help but roll her hips into him, clutching him to her as they started to grind together. His body felt amazing against hers and she wondered where the sudden desire to feel him had come from. "Feel good?"

"So good," she moaned, throwing her head back as their hips rocked and ground against each other. She wouldn't last much longer if he kept doing that, feeling his muscles and licking her lips. Puck's hand found her breast, squeezing the firm flesh as she moaned again, her nipples straining at her dress.

"So hot," he murmured into her ear, turning her around, his hands finding her hips and rocking with her. Quinn rolled her hips and ground her ass back into him, his breath hot against her ear.

"Lets get out of here. Take me home and bend me over," Quinn moaned into his ear, turning to face him, her lips latching onto his neck as his thigh pushed between her legs.

"Fuck. Let's go," he groaned, the blonde dragging him through the crowd of people, heading straight for the door of the club. She was more than ready to get back to her house and spend all night with him between the sheets.

* * *

><p>The couple stumbled into Quinn's bedroom, ripping at each others clothes and falling onto the bed, mouths joined. Quinn grabbed at his jeans, tugging them open and shoving them down his thighs as he unzipped her dress and tugged it up her body, tossing it to the floor. They didn't waste time with foreplay or teasing; they had been doing that all night and they were both about to explode if they didn't relieve the tension. Quinn kicked her panties off and knelt up to get rid of her bra before getting onto her knees, bending over for him like she had wanted to do in the club.<p>

"Condom," Puck groaned, gritting his teeth at the sight of her bent over and waiting for him, her hips moving back against him.

"It's fine, just pull out," Quinn breathed, tilting her ass further up for him. "Please, I need it."

"Babe, I'm too close. We need condoms," he sighed, groaning as he stroked between her thighs, circling her clit, the blonde whimpering. "I'll go grab some from the store. Don't move until I get back. I want to see you ready for me when I get back."

"Mmm, hurry," she sighed, licking her lips and lifting her head to see him.

"Fuck, I'll be right back," he mumbled, watching her finger disappear inside her. She was trying to kill him, he thought as he ran down the stairs, his jeans still unfastened. Fucking condoms.

* * *

><p>Puck ran every stop light on the way back to Quinn's place, cursing the amount of traffic there was. What the fuck was going on? Quinn was going to kill him by the time he finally got back. It had taken almost forty minutes and there was no way she would still be waiting for him.<p>

"What the fuck?" He swore as a fire truck sped past him, turning down the same street he was trying unsuccessfully to get down. Quinn's street. "Fuck this," he muttered, parking the car and grabbing the carrier bag from the seven eleven, heading down the street.

There were people everywhere, scattered amongst the sidewalk, staring up at the huge house that was surrounded by police and firemen. The house that was up in flames, thick black smoke billowing out of the windows.

Quinn's house.

Quinn's house was on fire.

He took off running down the sidewalk, pushing the snooty men and women out of the way, forcing his way through the crowds of people. Where was Quinn? What had happened? Was she ok?

"Sir, you can't go over there," a police officer warned as Puck tried to push past the yellow tape. "Please stand back."

"That's my fiance's house," he argued, shoving past him and ducking under the yellow tape, running up the gravelled path. There was fire and smoke everywhere and he could feel the ice cold fear leaking into his veins, the memories of the air force explosion threatening to make a comeback. He couldn't let them, not whilst Quinn could be in danger. "Quinn?!" He yelled, looking around for the blonde. Oh, why had he left her? "Quinn!"

"Are you Quinn's boyfriend?" A woman asked, tugging on his arm. He recognised the woman as Quinn's neighbour and sighed in relief. She must know where Quinn was. Maybe Quinn was at her house?

"Her fiancé. Do you know where she is? Is she at your place?" Puck asked, turning his back on the flaming house, trying his best to stay calm. Quinn would probably laugh at him for worrying so much about her.

"No, son. The fire is too out of control for the firemen to get inside safely. Quinn is still inside. They think she's already- already gone," the woman sighed, tears in her eyes. Quinn was a lovely young woman and a great neighbour for her age. She didn't want to think of the sweet girl being harmed in any way.

"What do you mean she's still inside?!" He demanded, a fireman joining them, attempting to calm him down.

"Sir, Miss Fabray has most likely suffocated from smoke inhalation by now and we can't get to her. It would put the a lot of people at risk," the fireman explained, his voice calm. How could they act so calm when Quinn was stuck inside.

Fuck them.

Puck shoved him off and took a deep breath before running into the house, ignoring the shouts from the firemen and ignoring the fear that ran through his body. If they weren't going to get Quinn out of here, he would. His fear of fire was the last thing on his mind.

"Quinn?!" He shouted, covering his nose with the collar of his shirt as he ran up the stairs, dodging the flames that lashed out at him. The flames roared behind him, in front of him, everywhere around him. He couldn't leave Quinn in here. He had promised to never leave her alone.

"Quinn! Where are you?! Quinn!" He yelled, kicking open the bathroom door, checking she wasn't in there before continuing down the hall. Smoke was everywhere and he could barely breathe. He prayed the firemen were wrong about Quinn suffocating.

The floor was beginning to creak and shake under him and he knew it wouldn't be long before it collapsed. There just wasn't enough time.

"Quinn? Are you in here?!" Puck shouted, bursting into her bedroom, seeing her dress was still on the floor, the bed sheets stained grey already from the heavy smoke. She wasn't in the bed, so where the hell was she? "Quinn?!" He croaked, dropping to his knees and crawling across the room, heading for the closet they had been in earlier. "Baby, are you in here?" He yelled, hammering on the door, coughing loudly.

And then he heard it. A small coughing sound from inside the closet before the door opened, Quinn falling into his arms.

"Puck?" She wheezed, her beautiful face puffy and red from the time she had spent crying in the closet. She had truly thought this was it. That she was about to die.

"I've got you, baby. We've got to get out of here. Cover your nose," he urged, scooping her up into his arms and stumbling towards the door. The fire was worse now if that was even possible and he held Quinn closer to his chest, stumbling down the hall. Floorboards were beginning to snap beneath his feet and he tried desperately to get them out faster, Quinn clinging to him.

"I love you," Quinn sobbed into his ear, holding tight to him. She wasn't stupid, she knew it was going to be next to impossible for them to get out of here alive. If she was going to die, at least she had him with her. He was all she'd ever wanted in life. He was her life.

"I love you, too. We're getting out of here, I promise you," he promised, finding his way to the stairs. They were almost there. Almost out. He almost had her safe. Puck held her tight to him as he ran down the stairs with her, hearing the crashing sound of the upper floor collapsing, fire whooshing out at them.

He did the first thing he could think of, diving for the door with Quinn, the fire swallowing up her house as they collapsed in the grass. He did it. He saved her.

Firemen came running to them, dragging them up and away from the house that was now collapsing in on itself. Quinn shoved them off her and grabbed for Puck, holding onto him as she watched her house burn to the ground.

"Are you ok?" Puck asked frantically, grabbing at her face, her arms, lifting her pyjama shirt to check her body. She didn't seem to be harmed and he thanked his lucky stars for that. If she had been hurt, he never would've forgiven himself.

"I'm good," Quinn smiled, letting out a sigh of relief as she watched the flames swallow her house. The house she had bought to impress her mother, the house where all her past was stored. Memories of her ex boyfriend's mental abuse, the lonely nights, the sadness. It had all been burnt to the ground.

It felt like a let go. Like she could finally move on with her life as herself, not who others wanted her to be.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital to get checked out?" Quinn asked for the millionth time as she opened up their hotel room, flicking on the light and sitting him on the bed before closing the door. She had cried for a good fifteen minutes in his arms and she felt awful now. He had braved his fears to save her. And he had. Puck had saved her life.<p>

"I'm fine, Q. Honestly. I just want to sleep," Puck shrugged, tucking her hair behind her ear, kissing her lips gently. She seemed happier now that her house was gone. Free, somehow.

"Thank you. For saving me," she whispered, leaning in for another long kiss and pulling him into a hug, tears burning her eyes. She loved him so much.

"I wasn't going to leave you in that fire," he murmured, kissing her nose. "I promised I'd never leave you and I won't."

"I love you," she breathed, kissing him before pulling away, closing the curtains. They had both been checked out by the paramedics who were amazed that neither of them had suffered any long term damage. Especially Quinn who they had all assumed dead.

"I love you, too," he mumbled sleepily, lying back on the bed, watching her strip out of her smoke stained pyjamas.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower and then I want to hold you, and I don't ever want to go," she whispered, stroking his cheek. He was her Angel, her saviour. The only person in her life that loved her unconditionally.

Puck offered her a small smile before she headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind her and turning on the hot water. Her past was gone now, burnt away into nothing. Her future was free, she was free. There were no burdens left on her shoulders.

Quinn reached for the shampoo, cursing as she cut her arm on something, looking up to see a condom machine installed into the wall. The smile fell from her face slowly as she took a condom from the exit tray, slowly lifting her eyes to the mirror to stare back at herself.

Before she knew what she was doing, she had pulled a bobby pin from her hair, taken one of the edges off of and poked tiny holes in the latex. Her past was gone, Beth was gone. She still had Puck and maybe she could get a baby too. Something to make her future brighter, to ensure Puck stayed with her.

Maybe she was still operating under shock, or maybe she wasn't. Either way, she picked up the broken condom and left the bathroom, climbing into the bed with her naked husband and kissing him hard as they disappeared under the sheets. Puck rolled onto her and made love to her, believing they were protected, Quinn clutching him to her as he spilt himself inside her, fighting the smile as she felt the warmth of his sperm inside her.

She wanted a baby, and she was going to have one.

No matter what.

_And would you see me differently?_

_But would that be such a bad thing? I wonder what it would be like, if told you._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Thank you for reading! Please review and have a wonderful day :)<em>**

**_I'm sorry this wasn't one of my best chapters. To the person that requested Quinn and Puck getting sexy in a club on my ask fm, I hope it wasn't too bad for you;)_**

**_Also, please check out Shake It Off by Taylor Swift, it's a masterpiece! "I go on too many dates, but I can't make them stay. At least that's what people say." GO ON TAYLOR!_**

**_Song lyrics used: Jason Walker- What If I Told You_**


	15. Nothing goes as planned

**_Disclaimer: I don't own anything._**

**_A/N: Did Quinn seem a little crazy to you at the end of the last chapter? Hmmm.._**

**_I just want to say that I know I've probably lost a few readers along the way, so I want to take this space to thank the people that have reviewed and supported me every step of the way. Zanabananaa, FinchelQuick34, AgronSalling, QuinnBelles, DiannaxAgron, Chloe, Agronaut13, QuinnyLucySexyFabray and msbelli. I love you guys so much, you have no idea. Your support means everything._**

**_WARNING: Mention of child abuse towards the end._**

* * *

><p><em>The trouble it might drag you down.<em>

_If you get lost, you can always be found.._

Quinn stared ahead at the wall blankly, listening to Puck's voice as he talked on the phone with the police. They had figured out what had caused the fire that burnt her house to the ground, or rather who. Arson, they were calling it. One of the firemen had found a silver lighter in the ruins of Quinn's dining room and the official statement was that someone had broken into her house and lit the fire to cover their tracks. It made sense. Quinn's house was easily the most expensive home on the street and the police figured the fire starter had thought an elderly couple had owned the home, making it an easy target. There were people she should call: insurance, her assistant, the people that managed her personal documents. But she couldn't bring herself to care long enough to call them. As far as she was concerned, her past had burnt in that fire and she was glad to leave it there.

Her cell phone ringing loudly broke her out of her thoughts, the blonde sitting up in bed and reaching for her phone that had been left in her car that Puck had driven to the store. Part of her wished that her phone had been in the fire, too.

"Hello?" Quinn asked, holding the sheets to her breasts as if the person on the other end of the line could see that she was naked. She expected Rachel, or Santana, or maybe even her mom. At least Rachel's cat had seemed to escape the fire, so that was good.

"Hello? It's me, Beth. Rachel gave me her phone to call you, she said your house was on fire," Beth breathed hurriedly, clearly worried for her parents, her voice high pitched with concern and panic.

"Beth? We're fine, baby. The fire happened whilst we were at the store, we're completely fine," she assured her daughter, lying slightly. Beth didn't need to know the details. It would do nothing but freak her out and she didn't want her baby worrying about her.

"And you're ok?" Beth breathed, her voice hitching. She was nervous, Quinn could tell by the breathlessness of her words. She spoke like that when she was nervous too, or so she had been told.

"I'm perfectly fine, baby. I promise," Quinn murmured, slipping out of the bed and heading into the bathroom, Puck still sat out on the balcony. He was taking the fire seriously, like she was upset that her house had been burnt into ashes. She could hear Shelby in the background from Beth's end of the line and she couldn't help but grit her teeth when she heard the raven haired woman ask Beth who she was talking to.

"I'm talking to Quinn, mommy!" Beth yelled back, Quinn biting down on her cheek so hard that she could taste the blood on her tongue from where her teeth had cut her skin open.

_Quinn. _

That's all she was to her daughter. She wasn't her mom; she hadn't been in her life for longer than a couple of hours. Shelby was her mommy, whilst she was a glorified stranger.

"Sweetie, I've got to go. We have to sort some things out with the house. I love you," Quinn breathed, closing her eyes as she felt her stomach roll. Beth didn't know that her mother was sick to her stomach because she could never be her mom. It was her fault, really. She had chosen adoption, a closed one at that. Legally, she had no right to even be in contact with her daughter for another eight years.

"Ok, I'm glad you're ok," Beth whispered before hanging up, the click of the dead line sounding like a gun shot. She hated that contact with her child could be snatched away so easily, with the simple press of a button. It wasn't right and it shouldn't be that way. But it was, and she had to learn to accept it.

Quinn set the phone down with a long sigh, closing her eyes and leaning her hands against the counter, her eyes drawn to the condom machine, then the small pile of broken ones she had piled next to the small bottles of shampoo. She felt awful for the amount of times she had tricked Puck into sleeping with her last night whilst believing they were protected, but she had to do it. The last time she asked him to give her a baby, he shot her down. She couldn't take that risk, not again, not now.

Beth might not be hers anymore, might be easily snatched away from her, but she could have another. She could have Beth's brother or sister that would be hers to keep. Hers and Puck's to keep. No one could take that baby away from them. She comforted herself with the thought that a baby was inevitable for them anyway and she was simply speeding up the future. There was nothing wrong with that, right? And besides, they had slept together several times without protection, so technically she could already be pregnant. There was nothing wrong with what she was doing, not as far as she could see.

"Babe? Are you ok in here?" Puck asked, opening the door and peering into the bathroom, not able to help his gaze or the way his eyes roamed her body. She was so perfect, every inch of her was flawlessly made.

"I'm fine, just taking a breather," Quinn assured him with a smile, reaching out to pull him close to her, wrapping her arms around his neck with a happy sigh as he held her tight to him. She loved the way he held her, as if she was some sort of treasure to him. Like she was special. "What did they say?"

"They still think it's arson and they're trying to draw up a list of suspects. Your ex is one," he murmured into her hair, stroking his fingers along her spine gently.

Quinn let out a breath and nodded her head, pressing her nose into his neck, her eyes closed as he held her. He was so gentle, so loving and soothing. If she could stay in his arms for the rest of her life, she would without a second thought. "You smell of smoke," she muttered, stroking her fingers up and down his chest absently.

"Shower with me?" He offered, kissing her temple lightly and ghosting his fingers up the sides of her body to her chin, pulling her in for a long kiss. Quinn couldn't help but sag against him and kiss him back, moaning when his tongue pushed past her lips in search of hers, her fingers pushing his boxers down to the floor so they were both naked.

"Shower," she breathed against his ear before latching onto his neck and sucking greedily, pushing him back against the wall and kissing him hard as he reached blindly for the shower controls, his other hand tangling in her hair and keeping her close.

Puck held her hips and lifted her into the shower, getting in behind her and closing the shower curtain, watching the water run down Quinn's back as she ran her fingers through her wet hair. It was amazing how every little thing, even something as easy as water on her skin, made him want and desire her more.

He reached out to trail his fingers slowly up the sides of her thighs, over the curve of her hip bones and continuing up her sides. Quinn's breathing became shallow and uneven as she leant back against his chest, goosebumps rising on her skin as his fingers teased over her ribs. His touch was as light as a feather and it was driving her crazy, letting out a small whine as he dragged his fingers up the sides of her breasts, not touching her full, just a tingling ghost like feeling of his nails. She could barely control herself when he lowered his lips to her neck, placing teasing little butterfly kisses along the creamy skin until he was kissing the top of her spine.

"Stop teasing," Quinn breathed, her eyes closed, her hands pressed to the cool tiles to brace herself as his lips moved down her spine. She shivered as he groaned against her spine, letting out a moan in response.

Puck didn't bother to answer her with words or to do as he was told, continuing to kiss his way down her spine until he was on his knees behind her, pressing a light kiss to the left cheek of her beautifully rounded and toned butt.

"Bend over," Puck growled against her skin, Quinn barely able to hear him over the spray of the shower. But she heard him, letting out a moan before slowly bending over for him, bracing herself on the rim of the bathtub.

It was a sight that he wished he was an artist for, so he could capture her in a painting forever. But maybe an artist couldn't do her justice, couldn't quite recreate the sexy dip of her back or the luscious glow her skin seemed to give off. And of course, he would kill anyone that attempted to see her naked, anyway. This was a sight for only him to see.

"God, you're beautiful," he mumbled, shifting behind her to get closer, darting his tongue out suddenly to taste her, Quinn squealing in surprise and grabbing on tight to the bath as he pulled her closer by her hips, taking his fill of her.

"You can't even see me," she argued breathlessly, moaning loudly and tilting her ass further up for him as he licked over her clit. The warm water felt wonderful on her back and Puck was tasting her from behind, giving her so much pleasure that she felt weak in the knees. Whoever invented shower sex was a genius in her mind.

"I've always seen you," he replied, kissing her center one more time before getting to his feet, smoothing his hands over her ass, the blonde pressing back at him, telling him without words what she wanted from him.

Quinn gasped as he filled her suddenly, bracing herself on the tiles as they found a pace that suited them both, a fast and hard rhythm that quickly filled the bathroom with the sounds of their moans and groans. His soapy hands felt amazing as they slid up her ribs to her breasts, Quinn biting hard on her lip and letting out a strangled moan as his fingers found and tweaked her nipples. It was hard, and fast, but they both needed it that way. Quinn reached back to hook her arm around his neck, bringing his lips to hers as she turned her head, thrusting her tongue out to meet his as their hips moved together frantically. His hand slid down between her thighs, touching and teasing her to her climax, the blonde gasping out his name as her whole body shook with the force, his arms keeping her upright. Puck followed right after her, groaning out her name whilst she panted for air, feeling the condom rip yet again, bending a little further to try to guide his sperm to where she wanted it, needed it.

"Are you ok, babe?" Puck asked, his voice husky. Quinn was still in his arms and for a moment he'd thought she had passed out, until she nodded her head and straightened up.

"I'm good," Quinn hummed with a smile, reaching for the shampoo bottle. She felt a little guilty about the ripped condoms, but comforted herself again with the thought that a pregnancy was inevitable for them, anyway.

"We should hit the road soon," Puck murmured, drawing her close against his chest, pouring the liquid soap into his hands to massage into her skin. He hadn't yet called his mom about the fire and he decided he would leave it until they got back, so she wouldn't freak out over them or anything. She had enough stress.

"What time is it now?" She asked, lathering the bubbles into her hair with a sigh. She couldn't wait to go home. Because that's what Wisconsin was to her now. Home.

"I think it's almost seven. We'll head out soon," he offered, Quinn nodding her agreement as she took over washing his skin clean, kissing where the water washed the suds away, smiling up at him.

"I love you," she whispered, pressing her lips to his jaw and stepping back under the spray to wash away the bubbles from her hair. She really did love him.

"I love you too," he smiled, stroking her cheek before swatting her ass and getting out of the shower. "And don't take all day," he called teasingly before leaving.

* * *

><p>"Are you hungry?" Puck asked, looking across the car at Quinn who was curled up in her seat, his leather jacket spread out over her knees as she read a book. They had been on the road for over an hour and she had been reading that book none stop. He figured it was the same book she had read the first time they drove to New York.<p>

"Mmm, a little. Are you?" Quinn asked, looking up from her book, staring at him for a moment. The sun was hitting him perfectly and she couldn't help but snap a picture.

"Yeah, there's a burger king coming up. Do you want anything? That's if you put your book down long enough," he teased, turning on the radio and rolling his eyes as the same damn Taylor Swift song came on as the time they drove to Wisconsin in the first place.

"It's a good book," she shrugged, closing it and smirking as she turned the volume up, singing along even louder than she had the last time to annoy him just the same.

"No Taylor Swift in the car," he reminded her, flicking it off, Quinn glaring at him and slapping his hand away, turning it back on.

"Do you want me to marry you? Leave my music alone," she snapped at him, covering the button with both of her hands. He had better get used to her love for Taylor Swift, because if he didn't let her have a certain song of Taylor's play at their wedding, she would separate him from his manly parts.

Puck smirked at her response- it was almost the same as the last time he had turned her music off. Only this time she was threatening to not marry him, instead of threatening to not pretend to be his fiancé. He liked the change, but if she could re-enact, so could he.

Quinn screamed as he opened both windows, flattening her hair with her hands and yelling at him to "shut the damn windows before I shut them on your balls!"

It was far too much fun to mess with her, he thought as he put the windows back up, his soon to be wife shooting him a look that could kill. That's if he was afraid of her glares, which he wasn't. They actually turned him on.

"I hate you," Quinn growled, crossing her arms and turning away from him, pouting like a small child would as she glared out of the windows. He was so irritating.

"I love you," Puck replied with a smile, turning off at Burger King, pulling into the drive through so they wouldn't have to get out of the car. Because their clothes had burnt in the fire, Quinn was sat in his boxers and a shirt she had found in the boot of her car, whilst he was shirtless and wearing his slightly singed jeans.

"I love you, too," she grumbled, huffing and turning back to sit properly in her seat. Her eyes couldn't help but glance over at his bare chest, her tongue poking out to lick at her lips. They had made love twice more after the shower before leaving and here she was, feeling suddenly hot towards him, needy for him. What she wouldn't give to just lean over and-

"Quinn? What do want to eat?" Puck asked, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips as she blushed and cleared her throat.

"Bacon cheeseburger with onions and mustard," she muttered, reaching for her book which had fallen to the floor, scowling to find her bookmark had slipped. Great. "And tell them to put extra pickles on it," she added, slapping his thigh to get his attention.

"That's gross, babe," he frowned, shaking his head but ordering it anyway, along with a simple chicken burger for himself, rubbing at his thigh. She slapped pretty hard, even if she didn't mean to. Such a bully.

Quinn simply rolled her eyes in response, flipping through her book to find her page. It was just her luck. Puck paid for their food and handed the paper bag over to Quinn before heading back onto the road, barely containing his grimace as she unwrapped her burger greedily and sank her teeth into it, moaning in appreciation.

"Mmm," she moaned, taking another bite and curling her feet beneath her with a sigh. It felt good to just sit back and eat whilst driving through the middle of nowhere.

Puck simply smiled in response, focusing on the road whilst she ate her disgusting burger beside him. Pickles and mustard with onions? That's just gross. Apparently Quinn thought so too, as five minutes later she was begging him to pull over, her hands clasped over her mouth, her face turning a pale shade of green.

The blonde practically dove over him to get out of the car as he pulled over, Puck getting out with her and holding her hair back as she hunched over, vomiting loudly into the grass. Puck tried to comfort her by rubbing her back as her stomach rolled time after time, Quinn sobbing as she threw up. She hated being sick, hated the feeling it gave her.

"That's it babe, get it all out," he murmured, rubbing circles in the small of her back, her hair soft in his hand. He hoped she would finish soon, not for his sake, but for hers. He didn't want her to be ill.

Quinn groaned in response, turning her head slightly as she felt him pressing something into her hand. Chewing gum, thank God.

"You should throw your burger out, I don't want you to get sick too," she breathed, slowly straightening up and dropping a piece of gum in her mouth as he pulled her into his arms, hugging her close.

"Yeah, good idea. Are you feeling any better? Do you want to see a doctor?" He asked, stroking his fingers through her hair as she wrapped her arms tight around his waist. She wasn't well at all, he could tell that much from how hot she felt. It was strange, he didn't think food poisoning worked that quickly, but clearly it did.

"No, no. I just want to go home."

* * *

><p>Puck couldn't help but smile at the happiness that filled Quinn's pale face as they pulled up outside the house, glad that she seemed so happy to be home. Hannah came running outside to greet them, Quinn hugging her tight as soon as she got out of the hot car. She still felt sick, but she supposed it was her own fault for trusting burger king.<p>

"I missed you," Hannah mumbled into Quinn's shoulder, her arms tight around her waist. "Did you see Beth?" She asked gently, peering up at the sickly looking blonde.

"I missed you too, Han. Yes, we saw Beth. She's beautiful, amazing. Perfect," Quinn breathed, offering her a weak smile and closing the car door.

"Babe, why don't you go lie down for a while? It'll help," Puck suggested, locking the car and taking hold of her clammy hand, leading her towards the house, Hannah following them happily.

Quinn sighed and nodded reluctantly, leaning in for a kiss before trudging upstairs, her footsteps heavy against the wooden stairs. She felt awful, exhausted, nauseous, weak. It was amazing to be home and she really, really wanted to go and talk with Ruth and Maggie but right now, Puck was right. Sleeping sounded far too good for her to pass up on it. She crawled into bed fully clothed, sighing as her head hit the pillows, falling asleep almost instantly in the huge, comfy bed.

Puck on the other hand headed straight for the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and joining his Grams at the table. She was playing scrabble and the pure simplicity of it made him smile. Everything was just so easy here.

"It's good to have you back, Noah," Maggie smiled after a moment, lifting her eyes from the game board to see him, her brows furrowing in confusion at his bare chest. "Son, where are on earth are your clothes?! Surely you and Quinn can keep your clothes on for a car ride, at least."

"My clothes are probably burnt to ashes in the ruins of Quinn's house," he shrugged, smirking as his mom spat out her tea. The fire wasn't funny, not at all, but his mom's reaction was.

"What are you talking about, Noah?" Ruth asked seriously, sitting down at the table, her eyes staring into his. "Oh Lord, where is Quinn?" She asked a moment later, swallowing hard as a flicker of fear twisted up her stomach.

"Mom, it's ok. Quinn is upstairs sleeping, she got a bad burger on the way home and it made her sick," he assured her, reaching to squeeze her hand, glad his mom had obviously taken to Quinn these past few weeks. "There was a fire, Quinn was stuck inside. I'd gone to the store and when I got back, her house was on fire and the firemen were telling me she was dead inside. I knew she wasn't, mom, I would've felt it. She wouldn't leave me like that, so I went in and I brought her out. Her house is gone, her clothes, pictures, every thing. The police found a lighter in the ruins, they're saying its arson."

His mom and grams were silent for a moment, before Ruth cleared her throat and spoke up, tears sparkling in her eyes. Puck felt awful; he hadn't wanted to upset his mother.

"I'm glad you're both ok, Noah, but don't you ever do something stupid like that again! Running into a burning house?! What were you thinking?!" Ruth shouted, getting up abruptly from the table, her chair scraping across the floor. "What were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking that the woman I love more than anything was stuck in that house and if she was going to die, I wasn't letting her die alone. I promised I wouldn't ever leave her, mom, and I won't. I'll protect her, from everyone and everything," Puck answered calmly, his hands flat on the table. He knew she had a right to be angry with him but he wasn't his father. He would never leave Quinn, not ever.

Ruth stared at him for a moment before the tears spilled over, shaking her head as he got up to comfort her, hurrying out of the kitchen in tears.

"Don't worry about it, Noah, she's just had a rough day," Maggie sighed, offering him a supportive smile. "I think what you did was brave and wonderful and I know Quinn loves you even more for it. Ruthie will come around, once she's got her head straight."

"What happened, grams? She was happy when I left, and I expected a slap for being stupid but not that. I haven't seen her cry since Seth came back in my senior year," he muttered, rubbing his face tiredly.

"That's the thing, Noah. Seth called last night, he wants to see you."

* * *

><p>Quinn rolled over onto her back as she heard footsteps entering the room, smiling as Puck crawled under the covers with her, slightly surprised as he hid his face in her neck, holding onto her.<p>

"Puck, baby, what's wrong?" Quinn whispered, her heart breaking a little as she tugged the covers up over their heads, holding him in her arms. She hadn't seen him like this before, and it broke her heart into pieces to know that the man who braved his fear of fire to save her, was clearly scared of something. Or someone.

"Seth called. He wants to see me," Puck mumbled into her skin, taking comfort from breathing in her sweet smell, from the gentle kisses she was pressing to his forehead.

"Do you want to see him?" She asked, letting out a long breath. Finn had told her a few years ago how Puck had given his college fund to his father so he wouldn't have to see him again. Clearly there was something there she didn't know, something he hadn't told her. "Talk to me, baby. Why are you so scared of him?"

Puck was silent for a long, long moment, simply holding onto her waist and breathing her in. He could trust her. He knew everything about her and it was only fair she got to know everything about him, too. "I was seven, and my parents were fighting downstairs. I'd heard it happening a lot, heard him hurting my mom and I couldn't let him keep doing it so I went down there to try to protect her. I was just a kid, Q, I didn't know any better. My mom was out cold by the time I got down there, and he took his drunken frustration out on me. I was in hospital for a few days after that wit h a broken arm and bruised ribs."

"Oh God, Puck," Quinn breathed tearfully, sniffling and clutching him to her, her eyes shut tight. Seth Puckerman had hurt him, had hurt her soul mate whilst he was still a little boy. "I won't let him hurt you again, baby," she promised, kissing him hard and clutching his hair. They had both been hurt as kids and she wished more than anything that they had had each other back then, too. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he mumbled against her lips, kissing her back and pulling her closer. She made him feel so safe, so loved. He would be lost without her, would be nothing if he wasn't hers. "I want to go meet him, so he can see who I am. See I'm not afraid of him anymore."

Quinn was quiet, and he knew she didn't completely agree with the idea. "If that's what you want, if it's what you need to do, then I support that. Just, promise me you won't hurt yourself over him. I need you, you're needed, baby."

"I love you," Puck told her, kissing her again and rolling onto her, her hands pulling his jeans open as she kissed him back greedily. She wanted to, no she _needed _to give him comfort, to show him how much she loved and needed him.

"I love you, too. Especially now," Quinn breathed, closing her eyes and pulling his lips to hers. He was all she needed, and she was all he needed. Just them.

* * *

><p>Puck walked into the restaurant with a sense of confidence, of the swagger he had posessed in high school. A lot of it was thanks to Quinn and her sudden desire to kiss and pleasure every inch of him, her moans still ringing in his ears as she loudly showed him how much she needed him. He was Puck and he wasn't scared of anything, or anyone.<p>

He could spot his father from a mile away, sat in a leather jacket at the table in the corner, beer in hand. That didn't surprise him at all. His father had always been an alcoholic, an abusive one at that.

"Noah, you took your time," Seth commented as Puck sat down across from him, studying his son for a moment before ordering them both a beer. "What? You don't drink?" He asked, arching his brow at his son who frowned a little.

"I do, I just don't feel like drinking with you or going home to my family smelling of cheap beer. I've had enough of that smell," Puck replied coldly, asking the waitress to bring him a coke instead.

"Family? Ah, have you managed to knock up another blonde slut?" Seth asked with a smile, taunting his son. "Or another blonde daddy's girl that's too good for you?"

Puck leant forward, his arms resting on the table as he stared Seth down. "You don't speak about my fiancé like that, in fact, you don't speak of her at all. You're nothing to her, besides the abusive drunk that we've told her about."

"Little Noah grew some balls, hm? I see from the hickies on your neck that your little blonde enjoys them. Maybe you aren't as much of a pussy as I thought," Seth replied, leaning back in his seat with a teasing smirk.

"What do you want, Seth? Why did you call, hm? You want more money from me? Well I'm sorry but you won't get any, not from me or from mom or from Hannah," Puck told him firmly, taking a long gulp of his drink, his back tightening painfully as he shifted. Clearly Quinn had scratched his back to pieces again whilst riding him.

"I called because you're my son, and there are things I want to discuss with you. I have a business and I heard of your construction company. I want us to be partners, Puckerman and Son. People will eat that shit up, we'll be unstoppable," Seth grinned, pushing a business card across the table to him. His son's company was the most popular in the country for construction and he wanted in on it.

"Breweries? Why would I want to build bars and clubs for you?" Puck snorted, scanning the business card. He wasn't stupid, he knew his father wanted to take over, to take in the profits he was earning. Well unfortunately for Seth, he wouldn't let him get his hands on a single dime.

"Think about it, bars and clubs bring in thousands of dollars a year. We could take over the business world, Noah. This could be great!" Seth exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Sorry, not interested," Puck shrugged, ripping the card in two and tossing it back at him. He didn't want anything to do with him, not a single thing.

"You don't know what you're refusing here, son," Seth scowled, leaning closer to him, his eyes cold and cruel. "You have no idea."

"Actually, I do. I don't want anything to do with you. You're a coward, a shrivelled up excuse for a man. The only thing in life you have taught me, is how not to behave, how not to treat people. I love Quinn and I will never, ever leave her or any of our children in the future. I won't ever be the man to her that you were to mom. You're weak, and I'm not. I hope your clubs and bars are shut down before they so much as take off," Puck smiled, getting up from the table and leaving the restaurant with his head held high.

He was a Puckerman, but he was not his father. He finally saw that.

* * *

><p>"Quinn! Quinn, I need your help!" Hannah called, knocking loudly on the bathroom door, listening hard, struggling to hear anything over the spray of the tap. "Quinn?!"<p>

Quinn threw up yet again as quietly as she could, turning the tap up so the water splashed out faster, covering up the sounds of her vomiting from Puck's family. She wasn't stupid, she knew there was a chance. A chance that her vomiting wasn't due to the burgers, but she wasn't going to so much as consider the thought. Popping the condoms was wrong of her, she knew that now. She shouldn't have lied to her fiancé, shouldn't have let the crazy part of her brain take control.

"Just a second!" Quinn called towards the door, shutting off the tap and flushing the toilet, squeezing toothpaste onto her toothbrush and scrubbing at her teeth as she opened the door to Hannah.

"Mom enrolled me in the school across town. I start tomorrow and I need a new foundation and hairspray and a flat iron. Will you please drive me to the store? Please," Hannah pleaded, almost in tears. She couldn't make a bad impression on her first day tomorrow and Quinn was the only person who could help her.

"Sure, just let me get dressed," Quinn mumbled around her toothbrush, spitting into the sink and washing it away before heading to her wardrobe. "Is Puck home yet?" She asked, pulling a plain white dress out of the wardrobe to change into. She had fallen asleep again after Puck had left and she was deliciously sore in all the right places. Except her breasts. They were genuinely sensitive and bordering on painful.

"No, not yet. I think he'll be a while," Hannah answered, her back turned to the blonde who was changing her clothes. Or rather putting them on, as she was pretty sure a bra and boxers weren't real clothing. "Are you feeling any better yet?"

"Yes, I think I just needed to sleep. Come on, let's go before Puck gets back with my food," Quinn teased, brushing her hair quickly before leading Hannah down the stairs. Puck had promised to bring her back a bacon sandwich and at this point she was so desperate for one that she was debating whether or not to smuggle it into the house to cook some herself.

"Bacon again?" Hannah asked, snatching her purse up from the counter and following Quinn out to the car, climbing into the passenger seat. She remembered Quinn's bacon addiction vividly, as she was always sending Noah out for it in the middle of the night whilst her mom was at work. It was pretty funny, actually.

"Mmm, your brother promised me a sandwich and if he forgets it, he's in big trouble," Quinn smiled, pulling away from the house and turning onto the road. She was going to say she would separate Puck from his balls, but she doubted Hannah wanted to hear that. And besides, she did like his balls where they were.

"I'm pretty sure you're the only person that scares my brother."

* * *

><p>"Quinn? Which one do you think?" Hannah asked, holding two flat irons out for Quinn to examine, frowning a little when the blonde didn't respond. "Quinn? Hello?" She sighed, waving them in her face to get her attention.<p>

"What? Sorry, I zoned out for a second. What were you saying?" Quinn asked, shaking her head a little to refocus her attention on the young girl. She felt a little spacey lately, so maybe she was still tired. A fire was bound to do that to a person.

"I wanted to know which flat iron you think is best. Are you feeling ok? Do you want me to call Noah?" Hannah asked, reaching into her pocket for her phone. Quinn looked a little sick and she didn't particularly want to be thrown up on by her brother's fiancé.

"Get the black one, I know for a fact that the pink one couldn't straighten one hair, let alone a whole head," the blonde muttered, taking one of the boxes and putting it back on the shelf. "You don't need to call Puck, I'm fine. The perfumes just distracted me for a moment," she assured her with a smile, pulling a face at herself. Was it really necessary for people to spray every damn perfume on the shelves? It reeked.

"I can't smell anything," Hannah frowned, shrugging and continuing down the aisle, picking things up as she went.

"Really? It's awful," Quinn grumbled, wrinkling her nose up and leaving the brunette to it, wandering down another aisle absently. The smell was really getting to her now, and she could feel her stomach starting the roll again. Great. Maybe she should let Puck take her to a doctor.

"Here, it'll help," a woman smiled, pressing a lollipop into Quinn's hand with a kind smile. "People should really think of pregnant women more before dumping bottles of perfume everywhere," she added, rolling her eyes and grabbing a bottle of vitamins from the shelf.

"Oh, I'm not, I'm not pregnant," Quinn laughed, shaking her head a little, her eyes wandering over to the tampons. When was the last time she had gotten her period?

Shit.

"Sickness? Sore breasts? That stench makes you want to vomit for the whole of America?" The woman asked, a knowing smile playing on her lips as Quinn nodded along with her. "Have you been extra horny lately? Any cravings?" She smiled, tossing a tub of cocoa butter into her basket as Quinn blushed and nodded. "I'd say you're pregnant, sweetheart. Congratulations."

Quinn stared at her for a long moment before closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. She and Puck had been hit and miss with condoms, not to mention the ones she had ripped. It shouldn't even be a surprise to her really.

"Quinn? Are you done?" Hannah called from the checkout, waiting patiently for her things to be scanned and packed.

"Just a second!" Quinn called, grabbing a handful of pregnancy tests and hurrying to the self checkout stations, scanning them as quickly as she could. She couldn't let Hannah see them, or anyone else for that matter. Not until she knew.

"What did you buy?" Hannah asked with a smile, bounding over to the blonde who quickly grabbed up her carrier bag.

"Just a few necessities. A new toothbrush and stuff like that," she lied with a smile, paying for the tests before she and Hannah headed back to the car, the slightly cool breeze doing little to help with the nervous sweat that broke out on her skin.

"That's good, cause I'm pretty sure you're gonna need one if you keep barfing."

* * *

><p>Three minutes felt more like three hours as Quinn paced back and forth in the bathroom, wringing her hands nervously. Puck could be home any second now, and she didn't want him to know what she was doing. Not until she knew herself if she was pregnant. She wasn't stupid, she knew what the signs meant. Really, she should've accepted this earlier. She was the one who so badly wanted a baby, so surely she should be bouncing around the room at the possibility of being pregnant.<p>

She wanted it to be positive, to tell her that she was carrying Puck's child again. But part of her also wanted it to be negative, because she felt guilty for lying to Puck, even if she couldn't possibly be pregnant from that just yet. There was really nothing to do but wait for the damn three minutes to be over.

Finally, the timer on her phone rang out, breaking her from her thoughts. This was it, this was the split second that would change her life as soon as she the results of the five white sticks.

Quinn muttered a quick prayer for clarity before stepping up to the counter and turning the tests over, the screen clearly displaying the results. Tears filled her eyes, a small smile twitching at her lips.

Five pink plus signs were staring her right in the face.

Pregnant.

_Just know you're not alone._

_Cause I'm gonna make this place your home. _

* * *

><p><strong><em>I know y'all were waiting for baby Quick, so here we are. Baby number two. How do you think Puck will react?<em>**

**_Song lyrics used: Glee Cast- Home/Homeward Bound._**


	16. Everything will break

_**Disclaimer: still not owning anything, unfortunately.**_

_**A/N: I apologise for the slower updates than usual, both on this story and on my others. I started college on Monday and with it being a-levels, there is A LOT of essays to write. Like a lot. And obviously I don't really know anyone there so its been my main priority. I promise I'll try harder to update more for y'all.**_

_**Also, I just want to point out that this is fanfiction, so clearly the times and stuff are different. So, it is possible for Quinn to find out that she is pregnant, as the first time they had unprotected sex was chapter 11 I think. No, it is not via the condoms that she popped, though:)**_

_**Lastly, DIANNA AND MARK ARE COMING BACK FOR EPISODE TWO OF SEASON SIX AND THEY'VE BOTH BEEN IN THE RECORDING STUDIO. WE'RE GETTING QUICK BACK AGAIN YES!**_

* * *

><p><em>Some people want it all, but I don't want nothing at all,<em>

_If it ain't you baby, if I ain't got you baby.._

Quinn let out a shaky breath as she heard the front door close, knowing that Puck was home, knowing she would have to say the two words out loud. She didn't want to say it, to admit out loud that she was pregnant again. If she said it, it made it real and if it was real, that meant something bad could happen to the baby, that she could lose it. Part of her, the selfish part, wanted to keep the pregnancy a secret until she actually gave birth, but she knew she couldn't do that. It wasn't fair to Puck. He deserved to know and she couldn't keep this from him, couldn't keep on hiding things from him. Eventually she would have to tell him about what she did with the condoms, even if there was so way she could possibly have conceived so soon from that. She wasn't the old Quinn anymore, the Quinn that lied and kept secrets. She had to tell him, _wanted_ to tell him.

She looked down again at the positive tests and bit her lip, picking them up from the counter and stepping out into their bedroom as she heard his footsteps coming up the stairs. This was it, the moment things became real for them and for the child she was carrying.

"Q, babe, are you up here?" Puck asked, peering into the bedroom, a happy smile lighting up his face at the sight of his blonde fiancé stood by the bathroom door. He was pretty sure he would never get sick of coming home to her, to the love of his life. It made him smile every time he thought about it, that the girl he had fallen for at fourteen years old was soon to be his wife. "Hey, are you feeling any better? I brought you the sandwich," he grinned, setting the box down on the bed covers and taking off his shoes. He felt pretty damn good for standing up to his father.

"Yes, a little. We need to talk," Quinn breathed, biting her lip nervously. She wasn't really sure how to tell him that she was pregnant, as last time, Finn had done that for her. How was she supposed to tell him she was growing their child inside her this very moment?

"That's never good," he joked, frowning a little at the seriousness of her tone, sitting down on the bed. Was this it? Was this the day he had been dreading ever since they got back together? Did she regret what they had done together? Had she met someone else? Was she still in love with her ex, Jason? God, this was going to drive him insane.

"I hope its good. Its good for me," she offered, sighing a little and rocking on her heels for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. She could see in his eyes that he was a little fearful of what she wanted to talk to him about and she prayed he would be happy about the baby. "I'm pregnant," she blurted, getting the words out as fast as she could, closing her eyes for a second before opening them to see his reaction.

"Pregnant?" he asked, blinking a few times, trying to slowly comprehend what it was she was saying to him. Those had been the last words he could have imagined her to say to him, but he couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. "Are you sure?" he murmured, his voice shaking a little as he got to his feet, seeing in her eyes that yes, she was sure. He was going to be a father again, a father to the baby that was growing inside of his fiancé right now.

"I took five tests, to be certain that it wasn't a faulty positive. They're all positive, Puck. I'm pregnant," she whispered, holding the tests out to him in case he wanted visual proof of the fact that they were indeed pregnant again. His smile did a little to calm the nerves, but not much. She needed him to say something, anything. "Say something. Please."

Puck was silent for a moment as he studied the tests, his smile growing wider and wider with every positive stick that he set down on the bedside table. "You're pregnant," he mumbled, quietly at first, lifting his eyes to her nervous, tear filled ones. "You're pregnant," he repeated, louder this time, Quinn nodding her head, a small smile tugging at her lips as she picked up on the happiness in his voice. "You're pregnant!" he laughed, pulling her close and twirling her around, his whole body filling with pure happiness and joy, his smile spreading from ear to ear. Quinn was carrying their baby, the baby they would get to keep and raise as their own, the baby that would be the first of many for them, for their family.

Quinn laughed in response, her arms tight around his neck as he spun her around. She should have known he would be happy about the baby, too. "I'm pregnant," she nodded, smiling as he dropped to his knees before her, tears filling her eyes as he lifted her dress and leant forwards to kiss her abdomen that would soon begin to grow with their baby.

"Hi baby, its daddy here," he murmured against her skin, kissing below her belly button. "Our baby is in here, Q," he told her in awe, looking up at her, seeing the emotion shining in her beautiful eyes.

"I don't want to go out tonight. I want us to stay at home and watch a movie, like we did the first night we got here. I want you to hold me and I want us to have family time. All of us," she breathed, pulling him to his feet and stepping into his arms, letting out a shaky breath as she nuzzled her face into his chest. She would rather stay at home and watch bad movies in his arms than go out to a club and risk doing anything to lose their child. For now, she felt safer just staying in and spending time with her family. Puck's family were hers too now; they had been more of a family to her than hers had ever been.

"Ok, Hannah will love that anyway," he mumbled against her hair, holding her close to his chest and feeling the warmth of her body against his. He couldn't quite process the fact that they had made another baby and that their baby was currently growing inside of the woman in his arms. It was a little earlier than initially thought, but he couldn't be happier that she was pregnant again. That they got to have a child they could keep and raise together. "I love you, Quinn," he murmured, kissing her forehead and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I love you, too," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his neck, her arms tight around his waist.

* * *

><p>"I like this," Hannah grinned as she shut off the lights and bounded back over to her stack of cushions, sprawling out on the floor. She loved being able to spend time with her family, as it wouldn't be long until she lost them. Maggie was dying, she knew that and once she was gone, Noah and Quinn would leave, too.<p>

"Me too," Quinn hummed from her position between Puck's legs, her back against his chest and a blanket draped over them so he could touch and feel her belly as much as he liked without attracting questions from anyone. They had decided to wait until they'd seen Quinn's doctor before telling anyone she was pregnant.

"I hate this film," Puck grumbled, his hands sneaking under Quinn's pyjama shirt to run his fingers along her smooth stomach. There was no bump yet, but he still liked to touch her and their baby. He hadn't got to experience a pregnancy from the very start, as Finn got that luxury for more than half of her pregnancy with Beth. He didn't want to miss anything with this baby.

"You said it was my turn to choose," Quinn shrugged, stuffing popcorn into her mouth as The Notebook started to play on the TV. She wasn't bothered about calories and she would blame it on the fact that she was pregnant and would get fat anyway, but then she realized that being around Puck and his family had shown her things were more important than weight.

"You should have known, Noah. Don't you remember the nights she would force you to watch it with her?" Ruth laughed, shaking her head at the couple. She liked that they only seemed to fight and argue over small things like the movie they chose. When Quinn had lived with them before, Ruth would often come home to hear Noah begging the pregnant blonde to let them watch something else, to which Quinn would respond that being pregnant meant he couldn't argue with her. It had been sweet and she knew deep down, Noah had lived to spend those nights with her. He had been heartbroken when she moved out.

"Don't remind me," Puck groaned, scowling at the TV screen. He knew every damn word to this stupid film, but if it kept Quinn happy, he would suffer through it.

"You're just jealous that he's better than you," Hannah replied with a smirk, screaming and dodging the handful of popcorn he threw in her direction. "And that Quinn thinks he's hot," she added from beneath her blanket, finding it funny to annoy her brother whilst he had Quinn led on him. She knew the blonde was too lazy to let him up to grab her, so right now she was pretty darn happy to annoy him.

"I have my own Noah," Quinn smiled, turning her head to kiss Puck's jaw sweetly before returning her attention to the film. The reason she loved The Notebook so much was because the main character was called Noah and when she was lonely, she could delude herself into thinking that Puck loved her as much as Noah loved Allie. She wouldn't ever admit that to him though, not even now that she knew he loved her more than Ryan Gosling could ever.

"That's good, then. You can leave Ryan Gosling for the rest of us," Maggie grinned, winking at her from where she sat on the sofa. She had wanted to join them on the floor, but she was just too tired to do so. She was getting weaker everyday, she could feel it in her bones. It was only a matter of time before she was gone.

Quinn simply smiled in response and relaxed back against Puck's chest, feeling the soft little touches of his fingers on her stomach as they watched the film. She loved the way he wanted to touch her belly, even though there was nothing for him to feel at this point. It made her feel guilty, also, as she knew she had taken that chance from him when she was carrying Beth. Not to mention the fact that she had lied to his face about them being protected. But, there was nothing she could do about that now.

Puck held her close as she joked with his family, sitting back and happily watching the way she seemed to glow as she squealed and laughed, loving how happy she was. He knew that a large part of her happiness was because of their baby and that made his smile grow wider, his hands holding her that little bit closer. The baby would never replace Beth, and he wouldn't want it to. But, he hoped it would bring them both the release from their guilt over Beth and fill a little of the hole in their hearts.

"Noah," Hannah whispered loudly a while later, slapping at his shoulder to get his attention. "I think Quinn's fallen asleep again," she told him when he looked at her, nodding her head at Quinn who was turned into his chest, her head in his neck.

"Quinn?" He murmured, looking down at his fiancé, smiling to see she had fallen asleep in the exact same position she had the first night they spent here. Only this time he wasn't going to have to carry the fake fiancé he hadn't spoken to in years to bed, but his pregnant soon to be wife. He couldn't help but smile at the way things had changed for them.

The blonde didn't answer, simply hugging further into him, so he took that as his cue and slowly got to his feet, lifting Quinn up into his arms, careful to not wake her as he carried her towards the stairs.

"Good night, Noah," Ruth smiled, watching the way he carried the blonde, loving the way he loved her. She was so, so glad they had found their way back to each other.

"Night, mom," he smiled before heading upstairs, Quinn holding onto his shirt in her sleep, her lips forming an adorable little pout that he longed to just lean down and kiss. But he didn't want to wake her. He wanted her to get as much sleep as possible, so she would be healthy and their baby would be, too.

"Noah?" Quinn hummed as he laid her down in the bed, his hands gently but swiftly shifting the blankets about so he could tuck her in comfortably.

"Yeah, Q?" Puck asked as she turned on her side to face him, her eyes opening a little to see him, a small smile twitching at her lips as she watched him undress. He climbed in beside and pulled her close, waiting to hear what it was she wanted to say to him.

"I'm glad you're my Noah," she sighed sleepily, her eyes closing again, her hands holding onto his waist. She didn't ever want to let go of him, even just to sleep. He was hers and their baby was hers.

In that moment, he couldn't think of a better compliment from her. He was glad to be her Noah, too.

* * *

><p>The morning hit Quinn hard, the blonde barely having time to get to the bathroom before she was throwing up into the toilet, groaning tiredly. She'd read that some women didn't have morning sickness if they'd already had a child before and she had been praying for that to be the case for her, but she just wasn't that lucky.<p>

"Morning, sleepyhead," Puck smiled, coming into the bathroom to hold her hair back for her as she clutched the toilet bowl, wincing at the sounds she made. He knew she hated being sick and he wished he could do it for her.

"You're up early," Quinn mumbled before emptying her stomach again, bracing herself on the toilet seat. This was the part of being pregnant that she hated. And the stretch marks. And the constant peeing. And the emotional range of a rollercoaster.

"I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake you, so I took a walk and called the doctor's office in town. We have an appointment in an hour," he told her, helping her to her feet as her body seemingly ran out of things to throw up, getting her toothbrush for her.

"For the baby?" She asked, squeezing a blob of toothpaste onto her brush. She was a little nervous at the idea of seeing a doctor, even though she knew she wasn't at am age to be judged anymore. It still made her feel sick to think of the way the doctor she had when pregnant with Beth coldly told her she was having a girl, and them proceeded to advise her in which method of abortion to have.

"Yeah, is that ok?" He frowned, noticing the hesitancy in her voice, brushing his fingers down her back to try to soothe her a little, comfort her.

"I'm just nervous. And a little scared," she admitted, spitting into the sink with a sigh and cleaning her toothbrush. "I don't want them to tell me the tests were faulty, or that there's something wrong with the baby. I'm scared that we'll be judged again, even though we're not sixteen anymore and nobody knows about Beth here. I don't know, I'm just scared."

Puck sighed and pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead and stroking his fingers through her hair. "It's ok to be scared, Q. You wouldn't be human if you weren't. You took five tests, babe. I don't think we're that unlucky to have five faulty tests in a row. Plus the vomiting. You're definitely pregnant, baby, so don't be scared of that. Nobody is going to judge you, I promise. You don't have to be scared, cause you're not alone in this. Not this time. I'm with you every step of the way. I love you," he told her, looking into her eyes so she would see he meant every word of it, stroking her cheek.

Quinn closed her eyes and leant into his touch for a moment before nodding opening her eyes, managing a small smile. "I love you, too," she breathed, stretching up to kiss him, winding her arms around his neck to hold him close. "I need to shower, I feel gross. Shower with me?" She smiled, letting go of him to lift her shirt over her head, dropping it to the floor.

"You think we have enough time, Fabray?" He asked with a smile as he watched her strip for him, watching her twist her hips teasingly as she dropped her panties to the floor and turned the water on. Quinn usually wanted to go for a ride for as long as she could in the morning so if they had time to, she would.

"Let's find out," she purred, pushing his boxers down so that he was naked with her, too, licking her lips as she ran her hands across his smooth chest. The baby hormones must be kicking in already, because she was hungry for him, for his amazing body.

Puck smiled in response and kissed her hard, helping her to climb into the tub, drawing the shower curtain shut as she pushed him against the wall, her lips latching onto his neck, sucking greedily at his skin as her hands slid down his body to find his dick, wrapping her hand around him and dropping to her knees before him, licking her lips in anticipation.

"I want to taste you," she whispered, pressing a kiss to the base of his shaft before kissing along the hardness, rubbing her closed lips along the head of his dick with a moan before opening her mouth to let him inside. He was huge, long and thick, and she was actually really proud of herself that she managed to take a good amount of him into her mouth, his groans music to her ears as she started to bob her head up and down, twisting and pumping her hand around him as she sucked greedily on him.

"God, Q, you're so fucking good at that," he groaned, looking down his body to watch her, his fingers winding through her damp hair as she looked up at him through her lashes and moaned around him. Her mouth was so hot and so wet, and he couldn't stop himself from flexing his hips, thrusting into her mouth a little as she moved back and forth on him.

Quinn let him slide from her mouth with a wet pop and moved lower to take his balls into her mouth, too, licking at them before guiding him back into her mouth, enjoying the thrusts of his hips against her face. "It's ok, fuck my mouth. I want it," she breathed, her voice husky and raspy, kissing each of his thighs before taking him back into her mouth, relaxing her throat to start to swallow him.

"Fuck, yeah baby you do that so good. Shit, Q. Oh God, just like that," he grunted, his eyes rolling back into his head as she swallowed his dick down her throat, feeling and hearing her moaning as she let him take control, almost as if she was enjoying herself as much as he was as his cock moved in and out of her mouth quickly. "Enough, baby. I want to feel you," he groaned, trying to pull her away, to help her up.

Quinn whined a little as he pulled out of her mouth, pouting a little but letting him pull her up, gasping in surprise as he hoisted her up and pressed her into the wall. She was so wet, and she needed a release desperately, bringing his lips to hers in a heated kiss, forcing her tongue past his lips, letting him taste himself on her as they kissed. She was so caught up in their kisses that she cried out in pure pleasure when he suddenly thrust into her, throwing her head back against the wall as he filled her completely. Puck groaned at the tightness of her heat, kissing at her neck as he thrust into her quickly, Quinn rising and falling on him to find more pleasure, forcing him deeper into her with a loud moan.

"Faster," she breathed out, holding him to her breast as he started to suck on her nipple, moaning louder and louder with every thrust of him into her, enjoying the closeness of their bodies as he pressed closer to her, their foreheads together.

Puck could feel she was close, her passage getting wetter, her walls starting to tighten as she grabbed at him, her back arched and her head flung back against the wall. She wanted him so badly and he felt so good inside her that she wanted to stay like this forever, the water raining down on them. But as soon as his fingers pinched her swollen clit, she was a goner, screaming out his name as her whole body tightened. Puck slammed into her faster, helping her ride it out, feeling her flow all over him. Quinn moaned loudly as he came, feeling every hot jet of him inside her, Puck relishing in the feeling of making love to her without a condom between them.

"I love you," Quinn panted, kissing him hard as their bodies sagged against the wall, digging her nails into his shoulders as her breasts heaved.

"I love you, too," Puck mumbled against her jaw, groaning as she tightened her muscles around him, flexing inside her in response. The water had ran cold by the time they were done.

* * *

><p>"Quinn Fabray, the doctor will see you now," the receptionist called kindly, Quinn taking a deep breath before getting to her feet, holding tight to Puck's hand as he led her down the narrow corridor to the doctor's office. She hadn't been able to sit still for the last hour, bouncing her foot or drumming her fingers, turning the radio on and off. It would've driven Puck insane if he didn't understand how nervous she was.<p>

"We got this, baby," Puck murmured as they reached the door, kissing her before they stepped into the office, Quinn swallowing hard as they made their way to the seats.

"Are you here to confirm a pregnancy?" Doctor Stevens asked with a warm smile, studying the nervous couple, eyeing the way their hands clutched at each other's.

"Yes," Quinn breathed, her free hand finding its way to her abdomen, covering it protectively. She prayed nothing bad would happen to her baby, to their baby. "I took five tests and they all came back positive, I've been throwing up for the whole country, my breasts are so sensitive. We just want to be sure."

"Ok, can I ask how many weeks you could possibly be?" The doctor asked, making notes in Quinn's folder, listening intently to her words.

"Six, maybe seven?" Puck asked, Quinn nodding her head and letting out a nervous breath. It felt to her like she was sixteen again. "Eight at the most."

"We could take a blood test, and wait a few hours for the results, or do a urine examination. Or we could try an ultrasound scan, to see if there is a baby there. It might be a little too early to see the fetus, but we could try an internal scan or one of the tests if we can't find anything. Are you comfortable with that, Miss Fabray? A scan would locate the fetus very quickly," he assured the nervous looking blonde. Mothers always seemed to be nervous when it came to scans, and he hoped to try to make Quinn feel as calm and comfortable as possible.

"Yes," Quinn nodded, biting her lip as Puck muttered under his breath about the doctor's terminology. She knew he didn't like the term 'fetus' and neither did she, in all honesty.

"Ok, if you want to climb on up, we can perform the scan right now," the doctor grinned, patting his hand on the cushioned examination table, offering them both a leaflet before heading over to shut off the lights. Thank God for the updated facilities in his office.

Quinn climbed up onto the table and led back slowly, Puck helping her to pull her blouse up and out of the way of her stomach. He couldn't wait until there was a bump there, until he could feel their baby growing inside her. His hand found hers and held tight as the doctor got things set up, kissing her knuckles to soothe her.

"This might be a little cold," the doctor warned before squirting the blue goo like substance onto Quinn's stomach, the blonde letting out a breathless laugh in response.

"This won't hurt her or the baby, right?" Puck asked, eyeing the machine with distrust, not so sure he wanted the remote thing poking at his fiancé and their child. It looked like something from a creepy sci-fi film.

"Not at all," he assured him before moving the transducer to Quinn's belly, moving it around a little, searching for the couple's little baby.

"You ok?" Puck asked, kissing at Quinn's forehead as she squeezed his hand, looking into her teary eyes. They couldn't see anything yet, as the doctor kept the screen facing him, making little hums of concentration as he ran the transducer along her skin. He prayed their baby was in there and that it was ok. They wouldn't be able to handle it if it weren't.

"I'm fine," she breathed, licking her lips a little, searching the doctor's face for answers. The guy could be a professional poker player at this rate, as she couldn't tell anything from his face. "Is my baby ok?" She asked quietly, biting hard on her lip.

"Oh, oh God," the doctor sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, Quinn letting out a sob in response, tears threatening to spill over. She knew what that meant. There was something wrong.

"What is it?" Puck asked, leaning over Quinn a little, as if shielding her from any bad news. He felt like his heart had dropped at those words and he didn't want to show it, but he was really freaking out inside. "Is it the baby? Is it ok?"

"That depends," the doctor started, turning the screen to them so they could see, Quinn bursting into tears. "Mommy and Daddy, your twins want to say hello," he smiled happily, pointing at the screen.

"Twins," Puck breathed, a smile spreading across his face at the sight of the two little, tiny bean looking blobs that were their babies. Quinn was carrying two of his babies. Twins. He felt shock trying to grip at him, but he didn't let it, smiling down at Quinn who was crying happily, clutching at her hand. "Two babies, Q!"

"Are they ok? Are they healthy?" Quinn asked through her tears, staring at the tiny forms of her babies. They were so small, smaller than she had ever seen Beth. Then again, she hadn't found out about Beth until ten weeks.

"Every thing looks great, guys. You can see here, they're in the same bag of water, which means they're identical twins. Congratulations," Doctor Stevens smiled, pointing at the screen, showing them what he meant. "Baby A is on your left, Quinn, and baby B on your right."

"How will I deliver them? Can I do it naturally?" Quinn asked, biting her lip and fighting the urge to touch her belly. She had come here praying for one baby to be ok, and they were leaving with the knowledge that they were pregnant with perfectly healthy identical twins. She couldn't be happier.

"As long as your blood pressure is ok, and we don't encounter any difficulties with your back from your car accident, I'm perfectly happy to put you down for a vaginal birth if that's what you want instead of a c-section," the doctor told her happily, printing off a few pictures for the couple that ready to burst with happiness.

"Yes, please. I want to remember every second of it, pain and all," she nodded, Puck smoking at her and kissing her lips. He knew why she wanted the pain and the natural birth. It was so she could go through the same pain as with Beth, but know that this time, their babies were theirs to keep.

"Fine by me. I'm going to put you down as seven weeks pregnant, and I want to see you again at ten weeks, then at twenty weeks then every week after you hit thirty weeks," Doctor Stevens explained, writing it down and shutting off the machine, handing Puck the sonogram pictures as Quinn cleaned her belly with a paper towel.

"Thank you," Quinn breathed, taking her appointment sheet from him and looking at the leaflets he had given them earlier, handing him back the ones about abortion and adoption. She would never go down those roads again.

Puck couldn't keep the smile from his face as they headed back to the car, trying his best not to skip, jump and shout from the rooftops that Quinn was pregnant. With twins. Quinn shared his happiness, the occasional tear still falling as they got into the car, gazing lovingly at the pictures of their tiny babies.

"Jellybean and ladybug," Puck grinned, reaching over to stroke his hand over her belly, Quinn turning her head to kiss him, both of them smiling against each other's lips.

"_Our _jellybean and ladybug," Quinn murmured happily, kissing him again as he started the engine. "And they want toffee ice cream," she added, sticking her tongue out at him.

"They do, or Mommy does?" He asked, winking at her and heading for the mall. Nothing in the world could bring them down today, nothing at all.

* * *

><p>Quinn ended up using the ice cream store in the mall as an excuse to go shopping, using the fact that she was now carrying two of his babies whenever he complained. He just didn't understand why she wanted to look at clothes all day. How boring was that?<p>

"What do you think of this?" Quinn asked, thrusting a dress into his line of sight, waving it about to grab and keep his attention. She was buying her clothes in the next size up and several pieces of maternity clothes, for when their jellybean and ladybug made an appearance. When she was pregnant with Beth, she hadn't appreciated her bump as much as she should and this time, she couldn't wait until the day she woke up unable to fasten her jeans.

"Yeah, that's cute," Puck offered, taking a look at the dress and returning his attention to the rack of clothing his was half heartedly looking through. He just wanted to go home and take a bath, or hang out by the lake. Shopping was not exactly his favourite pass time.

"You didn't even look," she pouted, huffing and putting it back on the rails, crossing her arms. "Why don't you choose something?" she suggested, figuring that at least if he was looking for something for her to wear, it would stop him whining so much.

Puck simply shrugged and went back to rifling through the clothes, pausing when he found a crisp white dress, the material thin enough that he knew he would be able to see her boobs if she wore it without a bra, and probably even the shape of her baby bump once it arrived. Perfect. "Here," he grinned, holding it out to her, Quinn pursing her lips a little as she turned to him, expecting a slutty playsuit that would leave half her ass hanging out. "Can we go look at underwear now?" he asked, winking at her as she took the dress from him happily.

"Well, they will get bigger with the twins," she hummed, looking down at her boobs and laughing at his hopeful look, taking his hand and leading him across the store to the underwear section. She had every intention of letting him look all along, it was just funny to make him think he was being rewarded by choosing her some new underwear.

Puck brightened considerably as they reached the lacy bras and panties, heading straight for the sexy underwear and examining it with more care than he would choosing a puppy to take home. "I can choose anything, and you have to wear it, right?" he asked, a hint of mischief in his smile when he looked at her. Oh yeah, now _this_ was _his _kind of shopping.

"Anything at all," Quinn agreed, kissing beneath his ear before moving away to pick up a few bigger, plain, everyday bras for once her boobs started to grow bigger. She knew they would, as with Beth she had gained a whole cup size, and now she was carrying twins. At least Puck would enjoy them until the babies came. It was already decided in her mind that she would breastfeed, as she wanted to do everything she could with the twins that she never got chance to do before, as well as give her babies the best possible start in life.

"You know, I think you should try these on and then let me see if they fit properly," Puck suggested with a grin, holding up a handful of sexy underwear that he couldn't wait to see her in.

"That would be the logical thing to do, wouldn't it?" she teased, pretending to think about it for a moment before heading for the changing rooms, knowing he would follow her, even without the promise of her modelling the sexy underwear for him.

Puck had never been in the women's changing rooms before, and he was kinda glad there was no one else in here, cause he didn't really want to see other women stripping and parading half naked around the room. Besides, Quinn would remove his balls if they did, even if he didn't look. He collapsed down onto the plush purple couch and held out the hangers to his fiancé, as if watching her modelling sexy underwear was a chore for him, watching the blonde disappear into one of the stalls. He wondered if she would let them christen one of these stalls. Probably not, but he could still dream, right?

"Hey, Q, you ok in there?" Puck called, seeing her feet dancing around, wondering if the twins were making her need to pee already. If they were, he made a mental note to congratulate them when they were born, cause he would most likely get to see Quinn run out in her underwear.

"Yes! I've just got pins and needles in my foot!" Quinn called in response, trying harder to fit into the sexy black and red underwear he had picked out. It wasn't that it didn't fit her, it was that she felt like half her ass and breasts were hanging out of it and she wasn't so sure if it looked right or not. Best way to find out was to ask Puck. "Is anyone else out there with you?" she asked, wiggling the bra a little, pouting at the amount of creamy flesh it revealed. Maybe it was the ingrained catholic of her mind that made her think it didn't fit right.

"Nope, its all clear," he replied, leaning back with a sigh. His jaw dropped when Quinn stepped out of the stall, fighting the urge to throw her down and make love to her right there and then as he raked his eyes hungrily over her body. She looked amazing, wonderful, sexy. "Wow," he mumbled, blinking a few times.

"I don't think it fits right," she sighed, twisting to examine herself in the mirror on the wall, arching her brow at how dark his eyes had suddenly gotten. Maybe the underwear set wasn't as bad on her as she thought.

"It fits perfectly. We're buying that," he nodded, licking his lips at how good she looked. Black and red were his favourite colours. Especially on her.

"I think we should go look in the baby store, even if it is a little early," she suggested as she walked to him, letting him see her better. She had made a habit of doing everything she could to avoid pregnant women and baby stores after they gave Beth up for adoption, but now she was pregnant again, she thought it would be the right time for her to get over that.

"Do you want to do that so soon?" he asked, pulling her close to kiss her belly lightly. He knew about her 'fear' of baby clothing. "We don't have to do that yet, if you don't feel ready. We have nine months."

"Seven months. I'm almost two months pregnant, remember?" she teased, stroking along the stubble of his cheek with a little hum of appreciation. She hadn't really thought of it until now, but his stubble was actually really sexy to her. "And I want to do it."

"Ok, as soon as you're done, we'll go check out the baby stuff," he murmured, kissing each of her breasts and then her lips. "But Daddy really, really wants to get this as his gift," he pouted, hooking his finger in the string of her thong.

"Mmm, you can have this one, but the rest you don't get to see until I say so," she purred, leaning in to kiss him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth with a moan before pulling away and heading back to the stall. She was kind of excited to look at the baby clothes, actually, and couldn't fight the smile as Puck walked with her to the checkout, their hands joined.

* * *

><p>Quinn took a deep breath as she and Puck walked into the baby clothing store, biting her lip hard as he led her through the pink frills and the blue denim, over to the gender neutral area. They didn't know the sex of the twins just yet and if they were going to buy something, it might as well be something they would actually use, instead of buying a tutu and having both babies turn out to be boys. Quinn had never really taken the time to look at baby clothes before, and as she held up a newborn sleep suit, she couldn't help but remember how small Beth had once been, how small the twins would be.<p>

They would be real, living, breathing, moving humans and she felt her chest grow tighter with every item of clothing they looked at. Puck seemed so natural at this, picking out sizes effortlessly, a big smile on his face whilst she felt panic start to fill her up inside. She didn't know if she could do this, if she could be a mother. She wasn't a natural like Puck was- Beth had screamed whenever she held her. What if the twins hated her, too?

"Babe, are you ok? You look a little pale. Do you need to sit down?" Puck asked worriedly, looking over at Quinn whose hand had grown clammy in his, seeing the hesitancy in her eyes as they passed by the car seats. She didn't look anywhere near as happy as she was this morning.

"I don't think I can do this," Quinn whispered, taking another look at the baby clothes before bolting, hurrying out of the store as fast as her legs would carry her, thrusting her hand into her bag for her phone and hitting speed dial, calling up the one person she could trust and confide her feelings in.

Mercedes answered on the first ring, her smiling voice bringing tears to Quinn's eyes as she slumped down on a bench, hiding her face in her hand as she took several deep breaths to try to stay as calm as possible. "What's up, hot mama?" Mercedes asked happily, glad to talk to Quinn again. Rachel had told her about the fire, but she seemed more concerned with the fact that her cat had lost a little fur on her tail than the fact Quinn and Puck almost died. Typical, really.

"I'm pregnant," Quinn blurted out, hearing her friend gasp in response, closing her eyes tight. She knew Puck must be worried about her and she felt awful for taking off on him, but she couldn't be in that store another second.

"Wow, that's great! Congratulations!" Mercedes beamed happily, stretching her feet out under her desk. She had known all along this would happen. Sam owed her fifty bucks.

"I don't know if I'm cut out for this, Mercedes. We've just been looking at the baby clothes and I kept thinking of how small Beth was and how she hated me when I babysat her and I don't think I can do this again," she confessed, tears threatening to spill over. "I want my babies so much, and I love them more than anything, but I don't think I can be a mom. Puck is so good at it, he's a natural, and I can't even look at a sleep suit without freaking out."

"Quinn, babe, you're overthinking things. You were a stranger to Beth, and Puck had been spending time with her before you. Of course she would take better to him. Don't judge yourself as being a bad mother forever because of that and the adoption. Its perfectly fine to freak out over how small the clothes are, because you're the one carrying the baby and you feel responsible for everything. You are a good person, Quinn, and a hell of a good mother. You gave your daughter up so she could have a better life, even though it killed you inside. That alone makes you a good mom. Just try to breathe and take things slowly. I'm here for you, chicka," Mercedes soothed, trying to comfort her friend.

"Do you think I can do this?" Quinn whispered, chewing at her lip, stroking over her belly. Oh how she wished she could feel them kicking already.

"I think you're going to be a wonderful mother, Q, and I think Puck will be an amazing father. You'll be the best looking family I know, besides Sam and I of course," Mercedes teased, causing Quinn to laugh a little.

"Thank you. I'm going to find my fiancé before he thinks I've ran off and sold the twins already," Quinn joked, sniffling and getting to her feet.

"Twins?!" Mercedes shrieked, her eyes wide in surprise. "No way!"

"Didn't I say that earlier? We're having twins. See you whenever," Quinn grinned, hanging up on her friend, knowing it would drive her insane not knowing every detail of the babies and the scan. Right now she had to find Puck and explain to him why she ran out like she did, heading back towards the store. She could see Puck still in the corner he had been when she ran out, figuring he had been waiting for her to come back. "Hey," she breathed, biting her lip as she tapped his shoulder, her fiancé turning to face her. "I'm so sorry."

"No, don't apologise, Q. I shouldn't have rushed you into this. I got carried away and I'm sorry. I should have thought more about you. We don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Its not too late to look at those leaflets the doctor gave us, if you don't want this. I love you," Puck sighed, drawing her into his arms and kissing her hair, letting out a relieved sigh. He had been so damn worried about her.

"Puck, its not your fault. I freaked out over nothing, over things that don't even matter anymore. I was scared of not being good enough for them and I know now that I can't judge my mothering skills on what happened with Beth. I'm sorry for running out on you, and I'm sorry for making you think I don't want our babies. I want them, Puck, and I love them so much. I want them," she mumbled, sniffling a little before looking down at the rails of clothing, smiling a little at the cute lion sleep suit, picking one up and holding it close, grabbing another with a tiger on it. "I want to do this. With you."

"Are you sure you want this?" he asked, looking into her eyes, cupping her beautiful face in his hands. He didn't ever want to lose her, not ever. Her walk out had scared the shit out of him, and he never wanted to see her walk away from him again.

"I want this, more than I've ever wanted anything. I want you, me, ladybug and our little jellybean," she smiled, stretching up to kiss him, guiding his hand to her belly. "Our family. That's all I want for us."

"Me too. Just the four of us," he agreed, hugging her close for a moment before showing her the tiny baby vests he had found, Quinn smiling up at him, running her fingers over the 'I love Mommy' print on them.

"You always know exactly what to do," she sighed, running her fingers through his hair and kissing him again before they headed towards the checkouts, hand in hand and smiles on both of their faces.

* * *

><p>Puck hummed happily as he dug around in the freezer for the mint choc chip ice cream that Quinn had sent him down for, not because she was craving, but because she just wanted it. It sounded pretty good to him, too, so he was just gonna take the tub and a spoon up there for them both to share. He finally found the tub and set it down on the counter along with the crackers and bottles of water he had read would help Quinn's morning sickness. Yes, he read the baby books they had bought from the store today. He liked reading up on what their babies were doing.<p>

"Midnight munchies?" Ruth asked from the doorway, a knowing smile playing on her lips as she watched her son move around the kitchen, collecting various items in the middle of the night. She had thought it was a burglar at first but no, it was just her noisy, clumsy son.

"Something like that. We're watching a film and Quinn got hungry," Puck shrugged, grabbing the items up in his arms. They hadn't decided on when they were telling his family and their friends yet, and Quinn had sworn Mercedes to secrecy. They both wanted the twins to be their little secret for now, to enjoy it before people started getting involved.

"Ok, just be quiet, ok? Grams isn't sleeping so well lately," Ruth admitted, grabbing a bottle of water to take to bed with her. It was getting cold now, so they were all wrapping up in heavy blankets and it was getting a little stuffy too.

"Maybe we should call her doctor, set up some treatment? It might let her live long enough to see the- to see the wedding," he muttered, hoping his mom hadn't caught his slip up. She had, but she let it go.

"Its not what she wants, Noah, and we have to respect that," Ruth reminded him, hugging him for a moment. "Your Grams is strong, son. She'll be around for as long as she wants to be."

"Night, Mom," he sighed, hugging her again before heading upstairs quietly, not wanting to wake his Grams or Hannah up. Quinn was still wide awake in their bed, sat on the blankets in her bra and panties as she played around for something. Whilst everyone else was freezing, Quinn had decided it was far too hot, and he didn't argue with her, figuring it was a pregnancy thing. "What you got there, babe?"

"I bought a polaroid camera when you went to pick up the cookies the twins wanted," Quinn smiled, holding it up for him to see. She was going to blame as much as she could on being pregnant, and so far she was getting everything she wanted. "I thought maybe we could take pictures of things throughout my pregnancy, so we can always look back on it when the twins are growing up. I want to make memories for us, things for us to have when we're old and grey."

"That's a good idea, Q. Here, let me see," he grinned, reaching for the camera, an idea in mind. "Stand up a second," he instructed, helping her up from the bed, Quinn arching her brow at him, clearly amused by his tactics and ideas. Puck lifted the camera to his eye and turned her sideways, snapping a picture of her flat stomach, moving away the processed picture before she could see it and grabbing a marker pen, scribbling quickly on it.

"Let me see!" Quinn whined, hands on her hips, pouting at him like a child would. Oh, how he hoped one of the twins was a girl, a carbon copy of her. He knew he would be wrapped around her finger in no time at all. "Puck, that's not fair! I wanna see!"

"Here," he smirked holding it out to her, the blonde snatching it quickly before he took it away from her grasp, tears filling her eyes as she looked back up at him from the picture.

"That's perfect," she whispered, grabbing an empty purple box and gently laying the picture inside, along with the sonogram pictures and the pregnancy test sticks that she had obviously taken the peed on bit out of. The picture was labelled 'seven weeks' and she knew his idea was to document the growing of her belly, too. She thought it was a great idea.

"We're gonna be awesome parents, you know that, don't you?" Puck asked, crawling into bed with her, popping open the ice cream tub as she climbed into his lap, pressing play on the twilight film. Great, so this time it was twilight he would be forced to watch none stop?

"I know. I love you, so much," Quinn whispered, holding his hands on her belly, her voice trembling with so much emotion, her eyes shining with love for him. She loved him, more than she could even comprehend, and she knew he loved her just as much. His sweet kiss said it all.

"Especially now."

_ Some people want diamond rings, and some just want everything._

_But everything means nothing, if I ain't got you._

* * *

><p><strong><em>I want to apologise again for the slow updates. College is a lot more stressful and busy than I thought it would ever be! I tried to make it up to y'all with a longer chapter than usual. I hope it didn't bore you : I hope you enjoyed this!_**

**_Please review, and have an amazing day!:)_**

**_Song lyrics used- Lauren Jauregui (fifth harmony)- If I Ain't Got You_**


	17. Nobody is perfect

**_Disclaimer: I don't own anything._**

**_A/N: Salgron has been everywhere and I'm not stable at all anymore._**

* * *

><p><em>There's not enough rain in Oklahoma, to wash the sins out of that house,<em>

_There's not enough wind in Oklahoma, to rip the nails out of the past.._

Puck and Quinn had woken early on thanksgiving morning, and were expressing their thanks in the best way they knew how. Quinn was sat on top of him, her head thrown back in ecstasy, her nails digging into his chest as she rose and fell on him quickly, bouncing on him as Puck's hands helped her hips keep up the fast paced rhythm. He couldn't believe that the beautiful, flawless, gorgeous blonde woman riding him was his, was his fiancé, the mother of his children and his soul mate. How had he gotten so lucky?

The first time he had ever laid eyes on Quinn Fabray, he had been fourteen and walking down the hall to his history class- the only class he didn't skip back then. The halls had been crammed full of students, but he had noticed her right away, and had been struck by how effortlessly beautiful she was. That night he had laid awake all night dreaming of the blonde, thinking about what it would be like to have her, to be with her, to love her, to make love to her. He dreamt about that a lot over the course of the year, imagining what it would be like to get Quinn naked and love her the way she deserved. When Quinn fell pregnant with Beth, he had thought he had lost her forever, especially when she chose Finn over him. And then Sam. Then Finn again. Then Joe. Then the Yale Professor. Then Biff. Puck had wholly believed he would never get the chance to be with the love of his life again.

But here they were in _their _bedroom, in _their _bed, with Quinn riding _him _and moaning out _his _name, her belly not yet sporting the bump of _their _babies. She loved him, and he loved her and he was so thankful,to God or Jesus or whoever it was that let him love Quinn.

"Oh, _Noah,_" Quinn moaned, leaning forward to brace herself on his chest, seeking out his lust and love filled eyes with her own as she bounced up and down on him, pleasure thrumming throughout her veins.

Quinn couldn't help but let his real name slip from her lips as they welcomed the morning, squeezing her eyes shut against the pleasure filling her body. She had wanted this since she was fourteen and she first spotted Puck out on the field. There were plenty of hot, cute boys jogging and practicing football drills that day, but she had only had eyes for him. For Puck. She had day dreamed about him in classes, added the extra coat of mascara in the hopes he would notice her over Santana and Brittany, and dated his best friend to try to make him jealous and want her. She had made a lot of mistakes, mistakes that she had thought would cost her him forever, because of her stupid pride.

But there he was beneath her, staring up at her with the dark eyes she had fallen for the first time she saw them, shining with pure love for her. He loved her, he had always loved her and she was so thankful to spend every day of her life loving him.

Puck surged upwards, pulling her lips to his and kissing her with all the love and passion that he could, thrusting up as she slammed down, Quinn panting into his mouth in pleasure as they neared their climaxes. Quinn's hands were clutching and tugging at his hair, her sweaty forehead resting against his, her hazel eyes staring deep into his for as long as she could before she squeezed her eyes shut tight and threw her head back, her mouth dropping open as she gasped out his name, her mouth staying open in a silent scream of pure pleasure as her walls clenched tight around him, urging him on. He grunted into her neck as he came inside her, glad that they no longer needed to use condoms now that she was pregnant. It was so much more intimate in his mind to make love to her without anything separating them.

"Mmm, wake me up like that more often," Quinn sighed, her head dropping into his neck as she gasped for air, her hands on his back to keep him close to her, enjoying the way his muscles rippled beneath his skin every time he moved. "Happy thanksgiving," she hummed, kissing the spot where she could see his pulse beating beneath the tanned skin.

"Happy thanksgiving, Q," Puck chuckled, turning his head to kiss her hair, stroking his fingers lightly up and down her back, his lips curling into a grin, Quinn peering up at him and arching her brow at the smile that spread across his face. "This time next year, the twins will be here. We'll be a family," he murmured, pressing his lips to her forehead, watching her hand move to her abdomen. She seemed to do that every time they talked about their babies and he loved it.

"A family," she repeated with a smile, nuzzling his neck and bringing his hand to her belly, too. "What are you thankful for? You know, the whole thanksgiving sex thing," she asked, biting her lip a little and joining their fingers together.

"You," he answered simply, smiling at her as she peered up at him with big, innocent, hazel eyes. She would always be the innocent little blonde to him, even if he had woke up to her giving him a blowjob. "I'm thankful for every day that I get to wake up with you in my arms, knowing that I'll get to spend every day for the rest of my life doing so. I'm thankful that after twelve years of being in love with you, I finally get to have you and love you the way you always should have been loved," he murmured, stroking her cheek, taking in every little detail of her gorgeous face and the way she leant into his touch. "I'm thankful for the twins, that they're healthy and that we're going to be a family. I'm thankful that you let me be the one to love you. I love you, more than I knew I could ever love someone," he told her, brushing his lips against hers. "What are you thankful for?" he asked, admiring the way their bare legs tangled together in the sheets, feeling her fingers stroking his chest absently.

Quinn smiled a teary smile at him and brought his lips to hers, kissing him sweetly and sniffing a little. "I'm thankful for every day that I spend being loved by you. You've always been the one person in my life that has loved me no matter what. Whether I was a total bitch, pregnant, a skank. It didn't matter. You loved me when I couldn't love myself and I'm thankful for every second that I spend with you. I'm thankful for our babies, that I'm pregnant again and we get to be a family. I love you, so much," she breathed, kissing him again and forcing her tongue past his lips, pushing him onto his back as she rolled on top of him, pressing her breasts into his chest as he kissed her back.

"Quinn! Noah!" Hannah yelled, rattling the door handle in an attempt to open the locked door, Quinn giggling at Puck's groan of frustration as she rolled off of him. "You have visitors! Get some clothes on and hurry up," she ordered, slamming her fist into the door for good measure before heading back downstairs loudly. Her brother and Quinn had been waking her up all night, so there was no way she was letting them sleep in.

"Babe, whoever it is can wait. Come back to bed," Puck pouted, watching his fiancé walk naked around their bedroom, reaching out for her lazily, the blonde giggling and bouncing out of his reach, causing her breasts to sway in response.

"Get up," Quinn replied, searching through the wardrobe for something to wear, sighing as warm hands slid around her waist, lips brushing against her neck. "Mmm, baby, that's really distracting," she hummed, arching her back as his hand brushed over her breast teasingly, trying to focus on the dress she was trying to put on. "If you don't get dressed, I'll ban you from sex for the rest of day," she threatened, removing his hand from her breast and slipping into her dress, "I hope its not my mother. I can't deal with her right now."

Puck quickly stopped trying to get into her pants at the touch of sadness in her eyes, turning her to face him and cupping her face, stroking away the dampness beneath her beautiful eyes. "If its your mother, I'll ask her to leave," he assured the blonde, kissing her pouting lips, feeling her smile a little against his lips as she nodded.

"I love you," Quinn sniffed, hugging into his chest with a sigh.

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>"About time!" Santana smirked as Puck and Quinn came down the stairs, smirking a little as Quinn blushed, knowing exactly what the two had been up to this fine morning. It was a wonder to her how the two got out of bed when they were so fricking obsessed with touching each other. Even now, she could see Quinn groping Puck's ass and rubbing herself against him. Sex addicts.<p>

"You didn't tell me you were coming to visit," Quinn smiled, glancing behind the Latina, her smile falling from her lips and a scowl slipping into place. "No way. No, he is not staying here. No. Babe, tell him to go back to the hole he came out of," she whined, spotting Jake and Marley getting out of the car. She had hated Jake from the moment she met him and as soon as she had found out what he did to Marley, that was that. Quinn was very firmly leading the 'I hate Jake Puckerman' party.

"Q, come on. Its Thanksgiving and he doesn't have any other family. His Mom is in Mexico on a job offer and we all know how much of an ass my Dad is," Puck pouted, trying the puppy dog eyes that had worked on her last night when she got mad at him for eating the last of the ice cream. Evidently that was a one time thing, as she didn't look like she was going to budge on this.

"We don't want him here," Quinn argued, hands on her hips, her eyes flicking down to her stomach. She felt bad for Jake not having any family, but that didn't mean she wanted him around her. Who knows what she might catch from him. He was almost as big a manwhore as his father was, at least in her eyes. "Are you really going to argue with me on this?" she asked, her voice low and dark, her lips pursing a little as she gave Puck the famous Quinn Fabray glare. "We both know I'll win," she added, quirking her eyebrow a little, Puck swallowing a little.

"Jake! Good to see you, bro!" Puck grinned, stepping around Quinn who practically hissed at him, heading over to hug his brother. Quinn would be pissed with him, and he would have to watch out for her putting things in his food or shaving his head tonight but Jake was family. Sure, he was a total dick sometimes, but he couldn't help but see himself in him, the old Puck, the one that screwed anything with boobs to try to get the woman he loved to notice him. He knew Marley was Jake's Quinn, knew how bad it felt to screw up the chance to be with the love of your life. But, he had never cheated on Quinn and could easily say he never would.

"Yeah, you too. This place is awesome, I would've stayed around for a while after your accident but I got called back to work," Jake smiled, hugging Puck and setting his duffle bag down on the floor, chancing a glance at Quinn who definitely did not look happy to see him. He would have to talk to her, as it seemed that despite her calling him to come to the hospital when Puck was hurt, she still hated him. "Hey, Quinn," he tried, the blonde narrowing her eyes sceptically at the bottle of wine he handed her to go with the dinner.

"I don't drink," Quinn snapped in response, Santana sniggering and muttering about Scary Quinn making an appearance pretty soon.

"Jake! You came!" Hannah cried, running into the house from outside, her long brown her damp from swimming in the lake. She threw herself into her brother's arms and hugged him tight, Ruth and Maggie coming down the hall to join them. "Are you staying for Thanksgiving? Grams is making turkey and everything," she grinned excitedly, pulling out of his hold and smiling at Marley who hovered awkwardly. "Are you two back together like Noah and Quinn?" she asked, a touch of hopefulness in her voice. She liked Marley, as she was good for her brother. Good for him like Quinn was for Noah. Although, Quinn was definitely her favourite new sister.

"I'd love to stay, if that's ok with you all," Jake replied, biting his lip a little and glancing over at Marley who was texting, probably Ryder again. "And no, we're not," he added with a sigh, rolling his eyes as Quinn grinned happily. He should've known she would be happy about that.

"Of course, Jake. The more the merrier," Ruth told him, rifling through the drawer of the cabinet by the door for her car keys. "We're going to head out and pick up a few things for dinner. Don't set the house on fire," she sighed jokingly, winking at Quinn who smiled back. The fire wasn't a sensitive topic, not anymore.

"Have they found out who did that yet? I mean its been like what, three days? Surely they must have a lead by now," Santana frowned, hooking her arm around Quinn's as they headed out into the garden. It was a cool day, but the sun was still out and so they wanted to make the most of it before the winter hit. It was supposed to snow pretty heavily this year, at least where they were in Wisconsin.

"The police have confirmed it wasn't an accident, and someone definitely torched the house on purpose. They found an empty bottle of lighter fluid and a silver lighter in the rubble of the kitchen but that's all. They suspected it was Quinn's ex, but he's been in England for the past two months. So they're still looking," Puck explained, drawing Quinn down into his lap, his arms around her waist as they cuddled on one of the loungers. Quinn's insurance had already come through, so money wasn't an issue over the loss of the house. He just wanted to know who it was that had burnt her house down, and be sure they were put away where Quinn wouldn't be hurt by them. "I just want them to be put away, so they can't touch us again."

"They'll find whoever it was, eventually," Marley smiled, sharing the lounger with Jake, though they were sat far apart from each other. She had agreed to come along to say goodbye to Maggie, and to see Quinn and Puck again, not because she had feelings for Jake. She did, and she probably always would, but she couldn't trust him anymore.

"Mmm, where's Brittany?" Quinn asked, looking over at Santana and threading her fingers through Puck's, squeezing his hands that rested innocently on her abdomen. She knew soon enough they would have to tell people about the twins, as she swore her stomach was more rounded than usual. This time around, she couldn't wait to be able to see the bump of her babies.

"She's teaching dance this weekend, and you know how much I hate those snotty nosed little shits," Santana shrugged, lying back in the grass with a sigh, stretching her arms up to the sky. She had a funny feeling around Quinn, a feeling that the blonde was hiding something from her. The last time she had that feeling, Quinn had admitted to cheating on the professor with Puck. Quinn could never hide things from her for long; her Mexican third eye would find out soon enough. "Have you guys decided on a wedding date yet?" she asked, thinking maybe that was eat, rolling onto her stomach to examine Quinn closer.

"Not yet, but it won't be too far off," Quinn mumbled, shifting a little in Puck's arms to cuddle into his chest, using her hand on his cheek to tilt his head a little and kissing him lightly. "It'll be before I get too big," she muttered against his lips before kissing him again, Puck nodding his agreement. She wanted to marry him before the twins were born, and preferably before she was the size of Titanic 2.0.

"What was that?" Santana smirked, arching her brow at the couple who she could hear muttering back and forth, pursing her lips at Quinn who looked to her and simply shrugged in response. "Right, come on, Tubbers. We're going for a walk. Marley, you too," she announced, getting to her feet and holding her hands out to the girls. "Now," she added, before the pouting blonde could argue with her.

Quinn sighed and reluctantly pulled free of Puck's arms, leaning in to kiss him again before pulling away and following Santana and Marley through the grass towards the house. It really was beautiful here in the fall, the crisp autumn leaves crunching beneath their feet as they walked. She couldn't wait until the day she and Puck had their own family in their own house, playing in the piles of autumn leaves in the garden. Thanksgiving had always been her favourite holiday, and she hoped Beth was enjoying herself too, as she would forever be thankful for her little blonde angel.

"So what do you want to talk about? I'm guessing there's something, seeing as you got us out here," Quinn sighed, glancing over at Santana as they made their way into the house. "Hot chocolate? I love drinking hot chocolate in the fall," she smiled, moving into the kitchen and filling the kettle with water to boil.

"How are things going with Puck? You haven't started planning the wedding yet," Santana noted, sitting at the breakfast bar that was covered in cakes and pies for tonight's Thanksgiving dinner.

"Things are great, San. We're just taking some time to be _us _again for a while, you know? I want to marry him, and I want it to be soon, but I don't want to rush anything and lose him. I feel whole when he's here with me, like he's the other half of me. We spent so many years hiding from each other, playing stupid games so no one would ever know we cared for each other. I wasted so much time trying to find men to measure up to him, when I could have had him all along. I love him, more than I thought I could ever love someone besides my child. I don't want to screw that up by roping him into marrying me before we're both ready. There's nothing wrong with waiting a few months," Quinn replied, fixing up three mugs of hot chocolate and coming over to join them at the breakfast bar.

The three women were quiet for a few moments before Marley spoke up, her eyes staring into Quinn's. "I've never seen anyone love the way you and Puck do. Its like you move, and he does too. You breathe in and he breathes out. You're made for each other, there's no doubting that. I think that you're afraid, because the two of you have been through more than most of us will ever. You have every right to be scared, of love, or marriage, or starting a family together. But I don't think you have anything to be scared of. Puck loves you, and he's probably in the same position as you. He doesn't want you to run from him, the same way you don't want to push him away," Marley shrugged, smiling a little and bringing her mug to her lips, taking a long sip of the warm, chocolate liquid. "I heard Puck and Jake on the phone last night," she grinned in response to Quinn's wide eyes.

"What were they talking about?" Santana asked eagerly, pouncing on the opportunity to get the latest scoop, leaning forward on her elbows.

"Santana, stop," Quinn sighed, rolling her eyes and twisting her ring around her finger for a long moment before sniffing quietly. "I think I need to take a walk," she muttered, getting up from her seat and heading outside, the grass tickling her bare legs as she walked. Puck seemed pretty happy talking with Jake, and she was glad of that. Jake was a total asshole in her mind for hurting Marley, but she had cheated too, she had hurt people too. Maybe Jake deserved a chance to prove himself. That or the twins were trying to make Mommy like their Uncle again.

Puck looked up as she walked, almost as if he could sense her, a happy smile spreading across his face. God, she loved that smile. She loved _his _smile. It was as if his eyes shone like a million stars when he smiled, and his smile could light up the whole town. His smile was her favourite, because she knew that it was meant for her, just as the smile that spread across hers in response was meant for him.

And so she walked straight up to her fiancé and crushed her lips to his, kissing him hard as he pulled her down into his lap, his fingers tangling in her hair to keep her close to him as she ran her tongue along his lip before sucking on it.

"Marry me," Quinn breathed, cupping his face in her hands, her forehead pressed against his as she kept their faces close together.

"What are we waiting for."

* * *

><p>"Hannah, how has school been working out?" Quinn asked, laughing at a joke Maggie had made and leaning across the table to grab the bowl of mashed potatoes. She couldn't seem to stop eating it, and she wondered if it was too early to have her first craving. Puck seemed to be thinking the same thing, as his hand kept sneaking from her thigh to stroke his thumb over her belly every now and then, a smile on his face. Everyone was so happy, especially Santana who was drunk and laughing wildly.<p>

"Its way better than my school in Lima! I tried out for cheerleading and I made the team," Hannah announced with a grin, pouring gravy over her dinner happily. She had wanted to be a cheerleader ever since she was a little kid and she first met Quinn. It was pretty easy to say Quinn was definitely her hero.

"Really?! That's amazing! You'll be an amazing cheerleader," Quinn smiled, spooning the mashed potatoes onto her plate happily. Thanksgiving last year had been awful, as she'd been forced to sit at the table and listen to her mother doting on Frannie and her newborn son, as if she had never had a grandchild before. She was glad to spend the holiday with people she was truly thankful for.

"If I catch any boys getting handsy, I'll shoot them myself," Puck grumbled, slumping down in his seat and scowling as the whole table erupted into laughter, Quinn throwing her head back laughing like a little kid. He knew exactly how tempting cheerleading uniforms were, as he had spent years lusting over Quinn in hers. It was still a memory that turned him on, and if he ever got to see her in it again, he would not be able to keep his hands off her. No way were any creeps having that with his sister. Ever.

"Oh hey, pot meet kettle," Santana yelled, laughing drunkenly and shaking her head, leaning over to high five Hannah who was on the verge of crying she was laughing so hard, slumped on the table to try to control herself. "How many times did your eyes roll back in your head when Fabray was prancing around in her uniform, huh? You freaking _loved _that damn uniform!" she screeched, clutching her stomach as she laughed, Quinn swatting her arm and rolling her eyes.

"Mom, how is work?" Puck asked, trying to change the subject from cheerleading and skimpy uniforms. He couldn't get the memory of Quinn in her uniform out of his head, and it only got worse when Quinn leant into him, a naughty little smile twisting up her lips.

"I still have my uniform, you know. Its upstairs, in our room, right now. Maybe we can sneak away, have a little fun later. Maybe I can cheer you on whilst you fuck me," Quinn breathed into his ear, squeezing his bulge and kissing his cheek innocently before sitting back in her seat, smirk in place as she listened to Ruth talk about the new medical supplies that had been delivered, knowing damn well what Puck was trying to keep hidden under the table. Served him right for turning her on and leaving her hanging the other night when they went out for dinner.

"Alright guys, before we start on dessert, I want everyone to say what they're thankful for this year," Maggie smiled, looking around the table at her family. It was so lovely to have everyone back here, to be surrounded by her family who were all very much happy, for her last Thanksgiving. It made her so happy that Noah and Quinn had found their way back to each other, and she only wished Jake and Marley would, so all three of her grandchildren would be happy and cared for when she left. "Hannah, you first."

Hannah grinned happily, glad to have the whole family's attention as she stood up and cleared her throat. "I'm thankful to have all of my family back and I'm happy Quinn is back here because she's a super cool sister. Marley, you're pretty great too, so I'm glad you're here. I'm thankful for my friends and that I get to spend the whole year with Grams. I think this is the best year, ever," she beamed, her smile growing wider at the smiles she received in return. "Jake, your turn!" she ordered as she sat back down.

"I'm thankful to spend Thanksgiving surrounded by family. Its been tough, missing my Mom and all but I'm glad I have you guys, too. Even though Quinn hates me," Jake teased, winking at Quinn who stuck her tongue out at him. At least it wasn't the glare he was used to from her. "I'm thankful to Marley for coming up here, even though I broke your heart a hundred different ways with what I did. Marls, I love you, and I know that the trust has been long gone and I know it still hurts, and I wish there was someway to take all the pain away that I caused you. I'm so sorry, and it means so much that you came with me," he murmured, smiling to Marley and squeezing her hand.

"I love you, too," Marley whispered tearfully, sniffing a little and offering him a small smile. There was a lot for them to discuss tonight.

"Quinn, your turn," he offered, sitting down and hoping she didn't snap at him. Luckily, she seemed pretty happy, just like the whole family seemed to be.

Quinn giggled as she stood up, squeezing Puck's cheek to make his lips pop out. It was hilarious the way he puckered up like a duck. "I'm thankful that I have a family now, that accept me for who I am, past and bad decisions included. I've spent so long trying to be who others want me to be and I'm glad to say that I like who I am right now, and I am that person because of all of you. Puck, I'm thankful for you, that your heart loves a damaged heart like mine and that I have you in my life. I love you with everything I am, and I can't wait to spend every day of the rest of my life with you," she smiled, stroking his cheek lovingly, tears filling her eyes as he smiled up at her, giving her the little nod of encouragement to do what they had decided to do earlier. "And that on the thirteenth of December, I'll be your wife, for better and for worse. I'm also thankful that we now know my womb is definitely fully functional and working as it should be," she smirked, sitting in his lap and kissing him, wrapping her arms tight around his neck and waiting for the Puckerman family to figure out what she meant.

Hannah was the first to figure it out, screaming excitedly and jumping up from her seat. Ruth was next, her hands flying to her mouth in surprise, tears filling her eyes.

"Oooh! A grand baby?!" Ruth shrieked, leaning forward eagerly, a huge smile spreading across her face. Oh, how she had been longing for another grandchild, for her son and the blonde to finally have a baby they could call their own and take away a little of the pain of losing Beth.

"Not just one, Mom. Two babies. Its twins!" Puck announced happily, beaming up at Quinn who was looking down at him with so much happiness in her eyes that he felt his heart swell until he thought it might burst. He loved this woman so much, loved her and the babies that were growing inside her at this very moment. "You have no idea how much I love you," he murmured against her lips, cupping her face in his hand as he stroked his thumb along her cheekbone. "I love you with every fibre of my being, Lucy. You and our children," he smiled, nudging her nose with his before bringing her lips to his and kissing her with as much love as he could, wanting her to feel just how much he loved her, how much he adored and worshipped her. She was his everything.

Quinn was crying happily as she kissed him back, her fingers lost in his hair as she held him to her, her tears dampening his cheeks also. Everything was so different this time. Everyone was so happy that she was pregnant, that she was carrying two wonderful children inside her. There was no anger, there were no threats or people being thrown out. She and her babies were loved, and accepted, and she couldn't be happier in Puck's arms, with his family chattering excitedly about baby names and whether they would be boys or girls. Their moment was perfect, absolutely perfect.

Until it wasn't.

"You know, its funny how 'in love' you are when you both started this whole thing out pretending to be together. You hadn't even spoken in years before this, right Q? Its a total cliché, like a frickin movie or something," Santana laughed drunkenly, Quinn swallowing hard and tightening her hold a little on Puck as Ruth shot them both a confused look.

"Santana, maybe you should take a walk and sober up a little," Jake suggested, knowing exactly where this was headed. Puck had told him everything, about asking Quinn to help him. He also knew that whilst it had been pretend at the beginning, Puck had loved Quinn the entire time. No one in the family needed to know the details.

"What? I'm right! Its like a movie! Dying grandma, a favour, a pretend relationship to fool everyone. I swear I've seen this in a movie before. Are you sure you're preggers, Q? Or is this another part of your little game?" Santana asked, her tone a little bitter, a little hurt. "Rachel told me everything," she added bitterly. How dare the hobbit know before she did.

"Santana, please," Quinn whispered tearfully, shaking her head a little. This couldn't be happening.

"What, Quinn? You don't want me to spill all the dirty details of your little pretence? That's fine, its not like you told me anyway. I had to find out from someone else," Santana muttered, getting up from the table and storming off upstairs angrily.

"Is there something you'd like to explain to us all?" Ruth asked the pair, her voice cold and her eyes hard.

* * *

><p>"Mom, we can explain everything," Puck started, holding Quinn's hand in his. They were sat on the sofa in the living room with Ruth and Maggie. Hannah had gone upstairs without speaking a word to either of them, and Quinn felt awful for breaking her heart, and for not being the one to tell her best friend the whole story. She was going to lay into Rachel later, but right now this was a lot more important than her.<p>

"It better be some explanation," Maggie replied, her words causing Quinn to flinch a little and hold tighter to Puck's hand, She had never heard Maggie sound so cold and unwelcoming, and Puck hadn't either.

"We never meant to hurt anyone," Quinn whispered, wiping at her cheek as a tear rolled down her skin. This had been a plan, yes, but not for selfish reasons. They had only wanted to help, to make Maggie's last few months easier.

"Q, you don't have to explain any of this. This was all my idea, Quinn was just trying to help," Puck sighed, swiping his thumb over her knuckles before looking into her eyes and wiping away the dampness beneath them. "You don't have to stay, babe. Its not good for you or the babies," he murmured, brushing his thumb over her lip. He didn't want her getting stressed and causing herself and the babies any damage. This wasn't their fault.

"No, I'm staying. I was as much a part of this as you were," she argued, shaking her head and threading their fingers together. "We don't face anything alone anymore, remember?" she told him, mustering up as much courage as she could and bringing his hand to her lips.

"Why? Why would you do this Noah?" Ruth asked, sighing and covering her face for a long moment before looking to Quinn, the blonde who had become a second daughter to her lately. "Quinn, are you really pregnant?" she asked weakly, pinching the bridge of her nose as the blonde sighed.

"Yes, I am pregnant and yes, we are getting married in December. This might have started out pretend, but its not anymore. It hasn't been for a long time, I love Puck," Quinn told them both, offering Puck a small smile.

"We started this out to try to help, to try to make you see that I am happy and would be cared for once you go. I know how much you used to worry about me, Grams, and I don't want you to worry anymore. I love Quinn, I love our babies and they are made from love. You both know its always been Quinn," he sighed, smiling a little as he felt Quinn's fingers tighten around his.

"I just don't understand why you kept this from all of us. Why didn't you just come clean as soon as it stopped being pretend? I would have preferred to hear it from you two, rather than your drunken friend," Maggie admitted, shaking her head a little. "How long? How long has it been real for?" she asked, not completely sure she wanted to hear the answer from them.

"Since the day we took the boat out, for me at least. I was such a bitch to you that day, because I was so in love with you and I didn't know how to tell you. I was jealous about you and Dianna, that you had loved another woman besides me and I thought that if I told you, you would leave me for her and I couldn't risk that. I'd been feeling things for you before that, but that was the day it really hit me that I was in love with you. I love you, so much. Its always been you, and it will always be you," Quinn breathed, cupping Puck's cheek in her hand and looking into his eyes. "The night you turned up on my doorstep, you changed my life for the better. I agreed to do this with you, because I wanted to feel what it was like to be loved by you again," she admitted, sniffing a little and offering him a small smile.

"You never had to be jealous of her, Q. The only reason I was with her was because she reminded me of you. It was real for me right from the beginning, I loved you every day we were together. I just never told you because I didn't want you to run away from me. I had to have you again, even if it was supposed to be pretend. I will never stop trying to have you, to win your heart," Puck murmured, turning his head a little to kiss her wrist gently, Quinn smiling up at him with tears rolling down her cheeks. "We might have gone into this with a motive, but that's long gone. I love Quinn and we're getting married. Here, if you can accept us now you know the truth. Wherever she goes, I'll follow. You've always known that," he told his Mom, taking Quinn's small hand in his, the contrasts between their skin tones never failing to make him smile.

Ruth and Maggie were silent for a long moment before Maggie smiled and held her hands out to Quinn, the blonde reaching out and holding on tight, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"We knew all along," Maggie confessed with a cheeky grin, sitting back and smirking at the looks of pure shock that took over their faces, Ruth crossing her arms and grinning at them. "You can't fool us. We've always known when you two were together," she grinned, laughing at the look on Puck's face.

"How did you know?" Quinn asked weakly, not so sure she wanted to know the answer, resting her hand on her belly, glancing up at Puck who looked as though he had seen a ghost.

"There were no sex noises coming from your room."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe they knew the whole time what was going on between us," Quinn muttered for the hundredth time as they climbed the stairs. She felt exhausted after today, but she knew she needed to speak to both Hannah and Santana and apologize to them for what they had done. Hannah was first on her list, as Santana would have passed out by now, anyways. Plus, the younger Puckerman was a sister to her now, and Hannah deserved an explanation. "I need to go speak to Hannah, I'll meet you in our room in a little while. I love you," she sighed, leaning in to kiss him, seeing he was just as tired as she was.<p>

"I love you, too. Always," Puck murmured, kissing her again before heading down the hall to their room. He was going to run a bath, relax a little and hold Quinn tight to him all night long.

"Hannah, its Quinn, please can I come in?" Quinn asked, knocking on Hannah's door before opening it a little and peering inside the dark room. Hannah was curled up in bed with her laptop, but she looked up at the sound of the door opening, staring blankly back at her.

"What do you want, Quinn? If that's even your real name," Hannah snapped, scowling at her and returning her attention to Netflix, scrolling through the horror movies available. She wasn't in the mood for romance films tonight.

"Its my middle name, but you already know that," Quinn smiled, trying to lighten the mood a little, sighing and closing the door behind her. "Can I sit down?" she asked, biting her lip a little. Hannah had never been angry with her before, and she didn't completely know how to approach this, how to make it better, sitting down when Hannah nodded. "I know that it doesn't fix things, but I am sorry for all of this. We never meant to hurt any of you," she breathed, reaching for her hand, flinching as Hannah moved away from her.

"So how long before you leave again? That's what you did last time. At least you're saying goodbye this time. Last time I woke up and ran into your room, and you were gone. You left without even saying goodbye to me," Hannah reminded her bitterly, crossing her arms tight over her chest. It had broke her heart when she woke up to Quinn having left during the night. Quinn had been her hero, had been everything she wanted to be.

"Hannah, I'm so sorry. I wanted to say goodbye to you, but I couldn't do it. I didn't say goodbye to your Mom either, or Puck. I couldn't stay, but I couldn't say goodbye either. I'm so, so sorry if you thought I abandoned you. I was a scared, messed up teenager and I had no idea what to do for myself or for Beth, or Puck. So I left. But I'm not leaving this time, Hannah. I'm here, because I love your brother with all my heart and I want to marry him and spend the rest of my life with him and the twins," Quinn explained softly, reaching out for her hand again, glad she didn't snatch it away again this time.

Hannah was silent for a long moment, her eyes flickering from their hands to Quinn and back again a few times before she pushed her laptop aside and threw herself into Quinn's arms. "Don't ever leave again," she croaked, burying her face in Quinn's neck and holding on tight to her, feeling her arms wrap tight around her waist.

"Never," Quinn promised, holding her tight before pulling away a little and cupping her sweet little face. "You're my sister now, Hannah. Its me and you, ok? Us girls have got to stick together, and these babies need their Aunty Hannah," she smiled, bringing Hannah's hand to her belly.

"I can feel a little bump, is that them?" Hannah asked, rubbing her hand over the barely noticeable bulge of Quinn's abdomen where her nieces or nephews lay inside their Mommy.

"Mmm, that's them," Quinn nodded happily, glad she wasn't the only one who felt the little bump of her stomach. Puck hadn't quite been able to notice it when she had told him. Maybe it was a female thing.

"I'm glad you're my sister," Hannah smiled, pulling her into a hug and holding on tight to her.

"I'm glad you're my sister, too."

* * *

><p>Puck hummed softly as he dried himself off and headed into the bedroom, gaping a little at Quinn who was clad in her cheerios skirt, the top replaced by a lacy red bra, posed seductively against the bedpost with her bottom lip between her teeth. He dropped his towel immediately and moved towards her, his eyes roaming her body greedily as he reached for her, pulling her body close to his.<p>

"I swear this thing looks better and better on you every time," Puck muttered, cupping her ass through the slits of her skirt, his eyebrow flicking up when all he felt was the bare skin of her ass. Oh, holy shit.

Quinn simply smirked up at him before planting her hands on his chest and shoving him backwards onto their bed, straddling him and humming in delight as she rocked herself against his cock, glad that she had left her panties off. "I want you so badly," she breathed, a dark hunger glowing in her hazel eyes as she rocked against him a little faster, licking her lips in delight.

"Take it, baby. Its all yours," he muttered, squeezing her ass in both hands before brushing his hands up the sides of her body, Quinn thrusting her breasts out at him, letting him fill his hands with them.

"Mine," she hummed, pushing him down and kissing him hard, leaving his lips before he had the chance to kiss her back, kissing at his neck and licking his skin before sucking hard, leaving a mark there to blossom and continuing down his chest, licking at his nipple with a hum of delight. She kissed her way down his body, leaving hot, open mouthed kissed down his abdomen until she was face to face with his erection, licking her lips greedily.

"I want this off. Now," Puck growled, hooking his finger under her bra between her breasts and tugging a little, Quinn smirking and kneeling up between his legs. Slowly she slid each strap from her shoulder, brushing her hands up her stomach to cup her breasts, letting out a low moan before snapping her bra open from the front, tossing the fabric away. Puck stared at her like she was an angel, pulling her down to kiss her hard, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and feeling her breasts press into his chest as she moaned into his mouth.

"Is this for me?" Quinn asked innocently, leaving his lips and moving back between his legs, wrapping her hand around his rock hard cock and pumping slowly, a devilish smirk lighting up her face as she darted her tongue out to lick his tip, moaning in delight.

"Mmm, all for you. Always for you," Puck groaned, her words making him shiver as he thrust his hips into her hand as she stroked him. God, she was going to be the death of him, her ass waving around in the air and that sexy cheerios skirt, tugging her to him to kiss her again, grabbing and squeezing her breast as his other hand found her ass, spanking the firm flesh, Quinn jerking a little and moaning into his mouth before moving down his body, spreading his legs open for her and licking her lips at the sight of his cock stood proud and ready for her. Puck groaned and shifted his hips a little in search of her mouth, Quinn growling and pushing him back down.

"Nuh uh, don't fucking try anything," she scolded with a smile, sinking her teeth into the skin of his thigh, biting him lightly. "Don't fucking try anything," she growled, holding his hips down and smirking up at him as he threw his head back with a loud groan. She was in control tonight, and she would decided what he got and when he got it.

Puck groaned again and closed his eyes tight so he wouldn't have to see her lust crazed eyes or that sexy little smirk of hers. Quinn was so sweet and pure during the day, walking around in her modest dresses, but in bed, she was a hellcat. And he fucking loved it. He loved that he was the only one to see this side of her. This side was _all his._

"Mmm, so hard. You're always so hard and ready for me," she moaned, licking her tongue up his length and mewing in delight at his taste, Puck cursing under his breath. "You like it when I suck your cock?" she asked sweetly, but he could see the devil in her eyes as she smiled up at him, torturing him with teasing little licks before she suddenly fell on him, taking his whole length into her mouth and sucking greedily, her hand cupping and squeezing his balls as she performed her sexy little push ups, bobbing up and down on his cock and moaning at the feeling of Puck's fingers in her hair, his hips thrusting up and fucking her mouth. Quinn thrust his hands away from her and spanked his thigh, silently telling him he couldn't control her, switching it up by taking his balls into her mouth instead.

Puck felt like he was in heaven, forcing his eyes open to watch Quinn as she sucked him back into her mouth, groaning her name as he felt himself hit the back of her throat, then further, and further, till her nose was pressed into his groin and his length was entirely inside her mouth. By the way she was going, he wasn't going to last much longer, trying to pull her away, knowing she wouldn't be able to take it all. Quinn, however, had other ideas, wrapping her hand tight around his cock as she moved back before moving forward again, sucking him greedily, moaning around him and slapping his hands away.

"Babe, I'm gonna," Puck groaned, throwing his head back and grunting her name as she sucked faster, clearly going for the end prize. "Come here, let me eat you," he mumbled, grabbing at her, shifting her so she was sat on his face, Quinn going straight back to sucking on his cock. He couldn't help but smirk as she screamed around his cock as he thrust his tongue inside her, gripping onto her hips as she started humping his face, moaning around him as he licked and sucked her juices from her. He could barely breath with the way she was riding his face, but he couldn't care less, breathing in pure Quinn Fabray.

"So good," Quinn whined, lifting her head a little and letting out a long, desperate moan, rocking her hips faster and stuffing him back into her mouth to muffle her sounds as he started sucking on her clit, squeezing at his balls to finish him off, feeling him start to pulse in her mouth. Quinn jerked him to an end, her mouth open wide, taking everything he had for her as he shot his load all over her face, moaning loudly in pleasure as she swallowed, riding his face faster as he groaned against her, sending delicious vibrations shooting through her body. "Don't stop, baby. Don't stop," she panted, pushing up so she was sat up straight on his face, clutching at her breasts as she rocked her hips back and forth frantically, rubbing at her nipples to feel even more pleasure as he sucked and nibbled at her clit. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this horny, riding his face desperately.

All it took was one more flick of his tongue and she screamed out his name, her walls clenching tight around his tongue as it thrust deep inside her, coming so hard that her vision blurred, her body slumping down on top of his as her juices gushed out, Puck licking them up greedily.

"God, Q, that was so fucking hot," Puck sighed, turning his head and sucking a love bite onto her thigh, He only ever made them heart shaped for her. "Q?" he asked, jostling her a little, rolling her off him and smirking to see she had come so hard she had passed out, the blonde groaning a little as he tapped her cheek gently.

Quinn very nearly wiped the smug smile off of his face when she came around.

* * *

><p>"Hello?" Beth asked, her voice so sweet and soft that Quinn couldn't help the tears that filled her eyes, clutching Puck's hand in hers.<p>

"Hi, monkey face. Its your Mom and Dad," Puck smiled, kissing Quinn's hair lightly and holding her tighter to him. Beth and Shelby were in England for Thanksgiving, and so they had waited until it was almost her bed time in England before calling their little girl.

"Mommy! Daddy! Happy Thanksgiving!" Beth yelled happily down the phone, causing her parents to laugh tearfully. They would never get used to the sound of their daughter's voice. It was the best sound in the world.

"Happy Thanksgiving, baby, I hope you're having a wonderful time in England. We just wanted to call and tell you how thankful we are to have you, and how much we love you. You're our perfect thing," Quinn murmured, sniffing a little and holding onto Puck's arms around hers. Beth sounded so happy and as much as she loved that, she wished Beth was here with them, instead.

"I love you, too Mommy. I miss you, and your cuddles," Beth mumbled, and Puck could picture her pouting at the phone, just like her mother when she wanted something.

"I miss you too, baby girl. Especially your cuddles," Quinn sighed, wishing she could feel the weight of her little girl in her arms again. "When you get back to America, I want the biggest cuddle you could ever give me," she smiled, loving the laugh she got from Beth in response.

"Only if you cuddle me back. Mom said I could spend Hannukah with you and Daddy, if you say yes. Say yes, Mommy. I wanna see the cool candles," Beth babbled excitedly, clasping her hands and waiting for her mother to answer her.

"We would love for you to come and spend Hannukah with us, monkey face, but maybe you should come a little earlier. Maybe for the thirteenth, to see Mommy and I get married?" Puck asked with a grin, knowing Quinn was too emotional to speak at the possibility of spending the holiday with their daughter, holding her close and kissing her forehead.

"You're getting married?! Can I be a bridesmaid?!" Beth shrieked, Shelby glancing over and raising her eyebrows. She hadn't seen that coming, at least not this soon.

"You can be a bridesmaid, or a flower girl, or whatever you want sweetheart," Quinn promised, wishing her baby was here with her now, wishing she could see the excitement in her daughter's eyes as they planned out their Christmas wedding.

"Mom said she wants to call you tomorrow and talk to you about it. I can't wait to see you again!" Beth beamed, her happiness making her parents smile at each other.

"Tell your Mom to call us anytime she wants. We can't wait to see you either, baby girl. We love you, so much," Puck told her, holding Quinn's hand tight in his own and trying to hold in his emotion. Beth would be with them again, would be at their wedding, would see her mother pregnant with her brother and/or sister. It was more than he ever could have hoped for.

"I love you too, Daddy. I love you, Mommy," Beth breathed before she hung up, Quinn staring at the phone for a moment before pulling Puck into a hug, holding him tight as he held her, neither of them needing to speak any words at all, as they both felt the same way. They could have been sat there in bed for hours just holding each other, but they didn't care, simply holding tight to each other, sharing a kiss here and there.

"I'm going to wash the makeup from my face, and then we're going to sleep knowing we get to see our daughter again," Quinn murmured finally, kissing him long and slow before slipping out of bed and padding into the bathroom, closing the door behind her and turning on the taps, finding her face wash and her cotton wool pads, rifling through her makeup case in search of her moisturizer. Damn. Where the hell was it? Quinn pulled open her drawer, rifling through it, freezing as her fingers landed on something cool, slowly pulling it out to see what it was.

A silver lighter.

Quinn stared at it for a long moment before slowly lifting her eyes to the mirror and staring herself in the eyes, twisting the silver lighter between her fingers before dropping it into the toilet and flushing it away, slowly closing the toilet lid.

Puck never needed to know the silver lighters had been a twin set.

_Shatter every window, until its all blown away._

_Every brick, every board, every slamming door's blown away,_

_Till there's nothing left standing, nothing lest of yesterday._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Oh shit, Quinn...<em>**

**_I know I'm a total asshole for not updating in a while, so I tried to make it up to y'all with a longer chapter._**

**_Please review and have a wonderfuuuuuuul day :)_**

**_Song lyrics used: Carrie Underwood- Blown Away._**


	18. Oh but everyone's to blame

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything **_

_**A/N: oh hey guys, what's going on? Dianna Agron ruining your self esteem? Same.**_

_**I'm on holiday in spain for a week, but I managed to buy WiFi, so hopefully I can update more. I'm writing this on my tablet, so please excuse any mistakes. They will be corrected once I get home. I want to thank those of you that have stood by this story right from the start, and are still reading and reviewing now. I love you, and I'm so grateful for you. Your suggestions and kind words lift me up, and I can't thank you enough.**_

_**I want you all to know that the private messages, tweets, messages on Twitter, tumblr and ask fm questions that leave me suggestions and things you want to see, I do read them and I do take them into account. **_

_**I'm just pretty emotional today I guess, but I really appreciate every one of you.**_

_**Enjoy :) **_

* * *

><p><em>Oh, I have seen your beauty grow.<em>

_Where others fade, you shine in gold.._

Puck opened his eyes with a smile, feeling hot lips leaving kisses down his chest and over his hips, blonde hair tickling his skin as she made her way back up to his neck, then his lips, kissing him awake. She had been awake for over an hour now, just watching him sleep and admiring how innocent and peaceful he seemed to be when sleeping next to her, his arms tight around her waist as if he was afraid of ever letting go of her. And she loved it- she loved that he needed her as much as she needed and wanted him.

Not to mention the fact that he had been mumbling her name in his sleep, proving that he did in fact think of her, even when he was fast asleep.

"Morning," Quinn breathed, her voice husky and raspy from sleep, Puck having to hold back a moan, pulling her close for another kiss. Her voice never failed to turn him on, especially when it turned husky like that.

"Mmm, morning, Q," Puck smirked, kissing her again and shifting a little, their bodies up close to each other, his hand gently cradling her face. "You're so beautiful," he murmured, brushing his fingers along her cheekbone, stroking his thumb along her lower lip and smiling as she kissed his skin.

"You make me feel beautiful," she whispered, leaning into his touch and pressing her lips to the palm of his hand, closing her eyes for a moment before leaning in to kiss him, stroking her hand up his arm and giggling as he rolled on top of her and growled into her neck. "I love you," she sighed, wrapping her arms tight around his neck as he kissed her, moaning and thrusting her hips up at him, letting go of his neck to thrust her fingers into his hair and clutch at his back, throwing her head back with a deep moan as she ground herself up against him. "Mmm," she moaned, guiding his hand to her breast as he leant in to kiss her again, arching her body up at him with a loud moan as his tongue pushed its way into her mouth.

Puck gripped her thigh and pressed his hips into hers, grinding his hardness into her as their tongues battled for dominance over the greedy kisses, Quinn pushing the covers away from them, wanting to feel every inch of his bare skin against hers. His other hand cupped the firm globe of her breast and gently gave it a squeeze, knowing she would be sensitive, but loving the throaty moans she made whenever he touched her breasts that way. "Hormones?" he asked against her lips, moving to her neck and kissing the sweet skin again, sucking at her pulse point, knowing that it would drive her wild.

"And you," she breathed, biting down on her lip and throwing her head back as he kissed his way down to her breasts. "You make me feel like this, like I'll go insane if I don't touch you, and kiss you, and feel you inside of me. You drive me crazy," she purred, smirking and throwing him onto his back, straddling him and leaning down to crush her lips to his in a steamy kiss, rocking her hips against the hardness that fit perfectly between her thighs, licking her lips and grabbing a hold of it, grinding against it and throwing her head back, moaning out loudly as Puck took a pouting nipple into his mouth and sucked greedily on it, flicking his tongue repeatedly over the little bud, squeezing her other breast. They were getting bigger already, and he loved it. He loved the effect their babies were having on her, the blonde seemingly glowing as she hovered over him.

However, before they could get any further, Quinn dismounted him and sprinted across the room to the bathroom, dropping to her knees and emptying her stomach into the toilet, Puck sighing and coming in behind her, holding her hair back and rubbing her back to soothe her as she threw up again.

So maybe he didn't like _all _of the effects pregnancy had on her, after all. Especially not when she punched him hard in the arm and told him that it was all his fault before going back to bed.

"You're still beautiful," he smiled, kissing her hair and pulling his sweat pants on as she collapsed onto the bed with a groan, her face scrunched up unhappily. It was a good job he had stocked up on crackers and lollipops from the grocery store last night when she sent him out for Cheetos.

"And you're an asshole."

* * *

><p>"Where's Quinn this morning?" Maggie asked as she came into the kitchen to see her grandson humming and putting bread into the toaster whilst making coffee for himself and a glass of water which she guessed was for Quinn. It was a little awkward between the family after Santana had confirmed what she and Ruth had suspected all along, and although they had already known the pair were pretending, it still hurt a little that they had actually lied to them for weeks on end.<p>

"Sleeping off the morning sickness and cursing men for everything wrong in the world that's happened since the dinosaurs," Puck shrugged, stirring the spoon around his coffee and dropping another spoonful of sugar into it. He had literally had to dodge the shoe Quinn threw at his head when he asked if she wanted him to hold her for a while. Apparently that was a bad idea, and if he hadn't had the instinct to duck, he would most likely have a red heeled shoe wedged into his forehead and a very satisfied fiancé.

"I was hoping to talk to her, but it'll wait," Maggie sighed, moving slowly over to the breakfast bar to sit down, narrowing her eyes at the way Noah looked at her, as if she was some sort of invalid. "Don't look at me that way, son. I'm as healthy as a horse," she told him, rolling her eyes and looking up as Hannah ran through the kitchen and straight outside to the lake. It was wonderful to see her family together again, and she hoped Noah and Quinn really were happy together. They seemed to be very much in live with each other, but then again time had shown exactly how good at acting the pair were.

Puck simply snorted and dished out the pancakes onto two plates, setting them down on the breakfast bar and reaching for the syrup as his Grams tucked into her food, pursing his lips a little at the thought of whatever it was that she wanted to say to Quinn. "Whatever it is that you want to talk to Q about, you should know that none of this is her fault. She was just trying to help. It was all my idea, she had nothing to do with it," he sighed finally, lifting his eyes from his food to look into the eyes of his Grandmother who simply arched a brow in response.

"Whatever is shared between Quinn and I, is kept between Quinn and I. There's nothing wrong with a little talking," she shrugged innocently, spooning food into her mouth.

"I love her, Grams. I love her more than I've ever loved anyone before. She's my world, and there's nothing I won't do to protect her and keep her happy," he told her, feeling the words that left his mouth even if she didn't. Quinn was everything to him, always had been and always would be. She would be his wife in a matter of two months, and there was nothing that made him happier. Besides the fact that by then they would know if they were having girls, boys, or one of each. "The twins and Beth, too," he added, rubbing his arm a little, "there's nothing in the world that could make me leave them."

"I know, Noah. You don't have to tell me that you love her; I can see it whenever she walks into the room. You light up when she's around you, and I see you have the same effect on her. I have no doubt that the two of you are meant to be together," she smiled, patting his hand a little.

"But you still don't believe that we are, do you?" he asked, leaning back a little on his stool.

"I never said that. I just said that I want to talk to Quinn," she shrugged, before getting up and leaving him alone in the kitchen with his thoughts.

* * *

><p>Quinn groaned as she pushed herself into a sitting position, cautiously standing up from the bed and waiting for the nausea to hit her again. The morning sickness with the twins was so much worse than it had been with Beth, as although she wasn't throwing up as many times a day, she now felt dizzy and weak and to put it simply, she felt like crap. Then again, everything was heightened, as there were two babies inside her, after all. Two perfect things that she had made with the man she loved, growing inside of her every second of the day.<p>

And when she thought of it that way, she would take the sickness every day of the nine months. Because she loved her babies, and she had wanted them for so long.

She seemed to have her sickness under control- finally- and so she headed for her drawers, fishing out a pair of skinny jeans and a blouse, figuring maybe she and Puck could have a day to themselves. In all honesty, she was a little afraid of facing Puck's family, even if they had straightened everything out last night. And then there was Santana, who she definitely needed to speak to and apologise.

"Hey, babe. You could've stayed in bed a little longer," Puck smiled, heading into the bedroom and handing her a plate of dry toast, leaning in to kiss her lightly on the lips, stroking his fingers down her cheek before moving away and grabbing a towel so he could take a shower. Normally, he would just get out naked and air dry, as he knew it would lead to Quinn and himself making the sheets just as wet as his body was. Turns out she had a thing for him when he was naked and wet, but he didn't want to chance his sister catching them at it.

"I'm pregnant, not an invalid," Quinn grumbled, rolling her eyes and sticking her tongue out at him, setting the plate of toast down and tugging her jeans up, wiggling her hips a little to get them all the way up. "But I have an idea of what we're doing today," she told him over her shoulder, practically wrestling with the denim to close. But it wouldn't. Not even close. Her jeans refused to button over the bump that had seemingly popped out overnight, a grin spreading across her face.

"And what would that be?" he called from the bathroom, poking his head out to see her, smiling in response to the beaming grin that had taken over her face.

"I can't fasten my jeans anymore," she laughed, shaking her head and running into his arms, crushing her lips to his in a happy kiss, throwing her arms around his neck as he lifted her feet from the ground and span her around, laughing into his neck.

When she was pregnant with Beth, she had cried for a week at the little bump that refused to stop growing, and had gone to extreme measures to hide it. This time, she was so excited to see the evidence of the babies they had made, growing inside of her. She was going to flaunt every second of her pregnancy, because she was finally happy, and starting a family with the man she loved with all her heart.

Puck set her down carefully on her feet and dropped to his knees in front of her, smoothing his hand over the definitely there baby bump, looking up at her with an awed smile, Quinn crying happily as she reached down to cup his cheek. "Our babies, Q," he murmured against her bump, pressing a gentle kiss either side of her belly for each of their babies. "Our babies are in here, right now, growing inside of you. Do you have any idea how much I love you? All three of you?" he asked, his voice wobbling a little with emotion, kissing her baby bump again and resting his forehead against it.

He couldn't put into words how amazing it was to be able to physically see that their babies were growing, inside of the woman that he loved more than anything in the world. When she had been pregnant with Beth, he had never gotten to experience her being pregnant right from the beginning like this, and he swore he had never seen anything so amazing.

"We love you, too," she sniffed through her tears, her free hand reaching down to join their fingers together, their hands resting on her bump. "So much," she whispered, her voice barely there as she pulled him back up to her, leaning her forehead against his as she held his face in both hands, feeling the warmth of his breath against her lips, his fingers causing shivers to run up her spine as he pulled her body flush against his. "I'll love you, for as long as you let me," she breathed, hugging him tight and pressing her lips to his neck.

"And if I say forever?" he asked against her hair, breathing in the smell of his shampoo in her hair, loving the way she always seemed to smell of him, and that he always seemed to smell of her. When they had been sixteen, one of the only things he had to prove that she did want him at least once, was the fact that she smelt of him as they led cuddled up to each other amongst the rumpled purple sheets on her bed.

"Then I'll love you for every day of forever," she promised, stroking his cheek and leaning in to kiss him, moaning as the fireworks spread throughout her body. She had always felt it with Puck, felt the sparks of electricity shooting through her veins, and the intense need for him that took over her body. He was her kryptonite, her lover. Her soul mate, and the man she wanted to spend forever with.

"Forever isn't long enough for us."

* * *

><p>"Good morning," Quinn smiled, a touch of nervousness in her voice as she stepped into the living room, biting her lip a little as the three Puckerman women looked up at her.<p>

She didn't quite know how to be around them after their secret had been exposed, but Puck had assured her that they didn't seem angry with them. Now, she wasn't so sure. But she had to at least try to clear the air, as they were her family now, and she really did love having them around again. They respected her, and respect was a hard thing for her to find after she got pregnant with Beth.

"Hey, Q," Hannah smiled, looking up from her laptop and shifting a little. "Did you know that the babies have eyelids now? How awesome is that?" She asked with an excited grin, turning the computer to show her what the twins would look like.

"Mmm, so I've heard," Quinn nodded, smiling at her and reaching for her purse. Puck had agreed to take her to the mall for new clothes, and to look at things for their babies. She needed new bras, too, but if she had told him that, he never would have let her leave the bed.

"You're showing," Ruth noted, eyeing the rounded little mound beneath the blouse the blonde was wearing. She couldn't quite fight the smile that tugged at her lips as Quinn smiled happily and brushed her fingers over her bump, lovingly. "Pregnancy suits you, Quinn. You glow," she added, sensing the touch of nervousness about the blonde's movements, as if she felt she shouldn't be there anymore.

"Thank you," she whispered, genuinely happy to receive that as a compliment. It's not like anyone had told her that when she was carrying her daughter. Besides Puck, but she had never accepted what he gave to her back then. "We called Beth last night," she admitted, smiling a little. She could still her her baby's voice, and she was certain she had never heard anything so beautiful.

"Really? Did _she _let you speak to her?" Maggie asked, arching her brow a little. She didn't have a very high opinion of Shelby Corcoran. The way she saw it, Shelby had no right to shut Quinn and Noah out of their daughter's life for so long. Not to mention the fact she slept with Noah, but he didn't know that she knew about that.

"Yes, Shelby let us speak to her. Beth wanted to come and spend Hanukkah with us, but we asked to extend the visit, so she could be at our wedding. It wouldn't feel right without her there," Quinn sighed. She was so excited to see her little girl again, and she prayed that Shelby wouldn't change her mind. Puck was just as nervous as she was about the possibility of Shelby changing her mind, but he handled it differently to her.

Maybe one day she would tell him that he talks in his sleep.

"Babe, are you ready to go?" Puck called from the hall, hunting through the pockets of his jackets to find his car keys and wallet, stuffing them into his pocket with a grin. He couldn't wait to buy things for the twins, or to watch Quinn's bump grow bigger and bigger. Maternity clothes didn't freak him out one bit, and he couldn't wait for Quinn to wear things that showed off her baby bump.

"Where are you going?" Hannah asked quickly, her eyes darting up to Quinn, a touch of worry in her words.

"Just to the mall. My jeans don't fit anymore," Quinn shrugged with a grin, holding her blouse up to show the young girl the hair tie that Puck had used to hold her jeans together until they got to the mall. "I meant what I said. I'm not leaving again, I promise," she assured her, kissing her hair lightly before reaching for her jacket, pausing and looking back at Ruth and Maggie. "I really am sorry for lying to you all. I didn't mean to hurt any of you, and I promise you, there won't be anymore lies," she promised, biting her lip a little. "I love Puck. I love him with all my heart. I never lied about that."

"We know, Quinn. What's done is done," Maggie smiled, getting up and setting aside her knitting before pulling her into a hug, rubbing her back soothingly.

Quinn sighed a little in relief and hugged her back, breathing in the sweet smell of her perfume. Puck's family were hers too, now, and she was so relieved to know that she hadn't lost them.

"I love you, too, Q," Puck smiled from the doorway, holding his hand out to her, the blonde smiling happily and moving into his arms, holding his hand tight in hers and kissing his lips.

No matter what, he would always love her.

* * *

><p>Quinn couldn't keep the smile from her face as she and Puck headed into the maternity clothing store, picking up dress after dress, glad to be able to shop for clothes to show off her bump, instead of clothes to hide it away. Puck followed her around the store without complaint, his eyes moving over the different pregnant mannequins around the store and remembering when Quinn's belly had once been that way with Beth.<p>

"What about this?" Quinn asked, stepping out of the changing room stall and holding her arms out so he could see the whole of the classy, tight maroon dress. There was a glee club reunion coming up in the next couple of weeks, and they had decided to announce her pregnancy then, after not doing a single thing to hide her bump. "I think it's perfect, but I don't know which size to get. We both know I'll be bigger than this by the time we go to see the glee club," she pouted, brushing her hand over her bump, her head snapping up at the camera flash.

"I love it," Puck smirked, lowering his phone. She looked so beautiful cradling her little bump like that, that he just had to get a picture. "I love seeing our babies," he murmured, getting up from the huge purple sofa and heading over to the blonde who arched her brow as he backed her into the wall. "Do you have any idea how sexy you look right now?" He asked, his voice low and husky as he kissed her jaw lightly. It was true, she looked sexier than ever in that tight maroon dress that brought attention both to her bump and her breasts that were visibly bigger.

"No, but I'm sure you'll tell me, anyway," she breathed, closing her eyes and tilting her head back with a soft moan as he kissed her neck, spearing her fingers through his hair to keep him close.

"You look fucking amazing. You glow, and I love that it's my babies making you look like this. Mmm, beautiful," he sighed, cupping and squeezing one of her breasts as he nibbled at her ear, Quinn letting out a hiss of pain-pleasure.

"Careful, they're really sensitive right now," she warned, pulling him away from her neck and kissing him hard, sighing into his mouth as his hands slid down her back to her ass.

"Sorry," he mumbled between her kisses, cradling her cheek and kissing her again before pulling away, admiring the darkness of her eyes and her swollen lips. "So beautiful," he muttered again, leaning in to kiss her one last time. "You should probably get changed, before we make a mess of this dress," he whispered into her ear, stroking a finger along her panties and winking at her before pulling away.

Quinn simply giggled in response as another couple came into the dressing rooms, pecking his cheek before heading back into the stall to change back into her own clothes, humming a little as she fastened the buttons on her blouse, smiling as she picked up on a conversation between Puck and the couple that had come in.

"Your wife is beautiful. Pregnancy suits her. Hold onto her, she's a treasure," the pregnant woman smiled, rubbing her back as her husband carried the clothes she wanted to try on, into a stall.

"Yes, she is," Puck agreed with a smile. "But she's my treasure."

* * *

><p>The baby store didn't seem so scary to her now, as she watched Puck carefully examining the tiny little sleep suits. Baby clothes had always been something which she aimed to avoid, as every time she caught sight of a little pink dress, or a shirt with the word 'Mommy' on it, she was reminded of her own little girl, the sweet little Angel she regretted ever letting go.<p>

But she had the twins, now. Two perfect things that she would get to keep, to mother, to love the way she had longed to love Beth. So instead of cowering away like she had the last time, she joined in with her soon to be husband's excitement over the small clothes.

"Look at this, Q! It's perfect!" Puck laughed, holding up a tiny little vest that read 'I'm cute. Mom's cute. Dad's lucky' on it. "You've got to let me buy these," he pouted as she opened her mouth to answer him. "They're gender neutral," he added, smirking as her jaw clenched, knowing he'd just ruined her argument.

"Fine, but when we find out that they're girls, you can't stop me from buying as many pink dresses as I want," Quinn smiled in a sing song voice, pointing over at the pink tutus that she found adorable, but Puck hated.

"When we find out that they're _boys _you can't stop me from buying all the boob related shirts I can find," he grinned back, putting two of the vests into the basket Quinn held.

"They're girls, Puckerman. I can feel it," she told him, patting her belly with a smug grin and leading him with her through the store. She was barely holding back the urge to fill a cart with shirts and blankets and toys, but she didn't want to risk jinxing anything.

"I can see that they're boys. Your boobs are getting bigger already, so you're definitely carrying Daddy's monkeys in there," he growled with a grin, nuzzling her stomach and making her laugh.

"I love you," she smiled, shaking her head at him and kissing his lips before taking his hand in hers as they wandered through the store. She wasn't really bothered if she had a son or a daughter, as long as they were healthy. It would be wonderful if she had a son and a daughter, a miniature version of him that she could watch them both play football, whilst she and their daughter played with dolls on the porch. She could almost see it, Puck and their son with matching mohawks playing football, whilst Beth and their daughter played together. It was everything she'd ever wanted.

Quinn blinked a few times as Puck suddenly tugged her aside, frowning up at him. "What are you-" she cut off as she spotted Dianna across the store, rolling her eyes and squeezing her hand a little. "It's fine, Puck. I'm not exactly going to break her nose right now," she snorted, gesturing to her bump.

"I know, I just don't want her to ruin our day. We haven't had a day to ourselves in so long," he shrugged, kissing her fingers lightly. "Even if it is sexy to think of you kicking ass," he winked, groaning as Dianna made her way over to them.

Why did she insist on causing trouble?

"Noah, it's good to see you," Dianna smiled sweetly, her heels clicking against the floor as she headed over to them, arching her brow a little as she eyed Quinn who rubbed her hand up and down his arm. "Quinn. I'm not surprised at all to find you in a baby store. You have a habit of giving children away, right? Too bad you can't actually sell babies in a store," she added, smirking as the blonde stiffened a little.

"Actually, I'm here buying clothes for the babies I'm expecting with my soon to be husband. What are you doing here? Besides trying to wreck homes, of course," Quinn replied with an innocent smile, Puck fighting the urge to laugh.

"Babies?" Dianna asked, looking to Puck with a frown.

"Twins. We're having twins. If you'll excuse us, we have to go and plan for our wedding. You see, Dianna, Puck wants to marry me so much, that we're getting married here in December, with our family," Quinn murmured, leaning into her, keeping the sweet smile on her face, lowering her voice so Puck wouldn't hear what she said next. "You didn't manage to come between us, sweetheart. You never could, no one could, because he's mine. Puck loves me, loves every part of me, though I think it's clear to see that," she breathed, brushing her fingers over her bump. "You never had him, and you never will," she vowed, before squeezing his hand and pulling him with her.

Puck pulled her into his side as they headed to the cashier, kissing her hair and fishing out his credit card. He didn't know what Quinn had said to Dianna, and he didn't really care much.

But it was fucking sexy, though.

"I love you," Quinn whispered, pressing her lips to his chest as the clerk bagged their things, nuzzling his skin a little with a happy sigh.

"I love you, too," Puck murmured, kissing her lips sweetly.

* * *

><p>"So when is Beth coming to stay?" Hannah asked with a grin, helping Quinn to unpack the hundreds of bags from the mall. There weren't actually hundreds, but it seemed as if there were from the heaps of clothes on the bed.<p>

"I'm not so sure yet. Puck is speaking to Shelby on the phone about it now," Quinn shrugged, taking the price tags off of her new dress and handing it over to Hannah who insisted on hanging the clothes in the wardrobe, so Quinn wasn't doing too much.

It was sweet, so she didn't say anything.

"You don't like her, do you?" Hannah giggled, examining the white dress before hanging it up happily. She liked spending time with the blonde.

"It's not that I don't like her, it's just the fact that she's my daughter's mother. It's awkward to hold a conversation with her," Quinn admitted with a sigh, brushing her fingers over the pink blankets they had gotten to set up a bed for Beth. Shelby had everything she had ever wanted, and she would be lying if she said it didn't sting a little.

Or a lot.

"You're still Beth's Mom, though. I think you're a good Mom," Hannah told her with a small smile, squeezing her hand. Quinn had given Beth up to give her a good life, and in her eyes, that made Quinn a better mother than Shelby said she was.

"I hope so," Quinn sighed, smiling at her and setting the few baby items they had bought, into a drawer to keep them clean from dust and dirt. "How is school? You never really told me how it's going for you," she added, arching her brow a little at the young Puckerman. "Any cute boys I should know about?" She asked, smirking as Hannah blushed and looked away.

"Maybe one," Hannah admitted, blushing bright red and covering her face as Quinn grinned at her. "You can't tell Noah!" She yelled as an after thought, knowing the blonde told Puck every thing. The last thing she needed was her brother frightening away the boys.

Again.

"My lips are sealed," Quinn promised with a wink, sitting down on the bed and leaning towards Hannah a little, arching her brow at her. "What's his name? What's he like? Are you together?" Quinn asked, grinning at her as she folded her new maternity jeans to put in the drawer.

"His name is Joshua, and he's so perfect. He has these big blue eyes that shine like stars," Hannah gushed, clasping her hands beneath her chin. "We've been going out a lot," she confessed, scrunching her nose up as Quinn squealed excitedly.

"I'm glad you're happy, sweetheart. You can talk to me about anything, anytime. If there's anything, anything at all that makes you uncomfortable or you want to talk about, I'm right here," Quinn told her very seriously, cupping her face in her hands. She wanted Hannah to know that she had a support system, someone to talk to.

"You mean like sex and babies and stuff, don't you?" Hannah asked, furrowing her brows a little as Quinn nodded her head. "I'm not doing anything like that. Promise," she told her, offering her a small smile.

"I'm glad, but I'm still here for you to talk to whenever you need to. I know I'm not your Mom, or your Grams, but I'm your friend. There'll come a time when you want to be...intimate, with someone. When you want to show your love for someone physically, and when that time comes, I want you to be better prepared than I was," Quinn laughed softly, squeezing her hand and getting up to hang up the last of her dresses.

"Is that what you and Noah did? When you made Beth?" Hannah asked, not expecting Quinn to answer a personal question like that. "Did you love Noah, even back then?"

Quinn smiled a little at the question and turned to face the young girl, nodding her head without a second thought. "Yes, I loved him, right from the start. But I was dating Finn, as you know, to try to cover up my feelings for Puck. He wasn't the type of guy I was supposed to want, but I did, so I hid it. We weren't friends, not really, but one day he was there to comfort me after I was called fat. I've never quite had the body that other girls my age did, but Puck told me how beautiful I was, how much I was worth, and the good he saw in me. We made love that night, made our daughter from that love. I love my baby more than the world, but I wasn't ready for her. If I had had someone to go to, to ask about protection, I would've had our daughter a few years later, and we wouldn't have had to let her go. I'm not saying that would ever happen to you; you're smarter than I was. I just want you to know that you have someone hear to talk to," Quinn told her, looking her in the eye and smiling at her.

Hannah sniffed a few times and nodded her head before getting up to hug Quinn tight around her waist. "I'm glad you're my sister," she mumbled, closing her eyes as Quinn stroked through her hair.

"I'm glad you're my sister, too," Quinn smiled, rubbing her back a little.

"You're a really good Mom, you know. The twins are lucky, and so is Beth. There's no one that could love them better than you and Noah," Hannah told her, hugging her again before leaving the room, Quinn smiling a little and stroking her belly. She hoped Hannah was right.

"Hey, babe. So do you want the good news, or the bad news?" Puck asked, coming into the bedroom and kissing her cheek, hooking his arms around her waist to hug her close for a moment, before clearing their bed of empty shopping bags.

"I don't know. Tell me the good; I'm not so sure I can handle the bad," Quinn sighed, sitting on the bed and curling her feet under her. Beth was her light, her world, and the bad news could be anything. Their daughter could be hurt, or lost, or they could be banned from her life. She didn't want any of those things.

"Well, you better start getting Beth's room ready," he hummed, laughing at the expression that took over her face, her eyes growing wide. "Shelby agreed to Beth being at the wedding, and staying with us for Hanukkah. She also thinks Beth should have a weekend here with us, just the three of us, to get used to this place before the wedding," he grinned, waiting for Quinn to react. He couldn't believe how much time they were getting with their daughter. As a family. "Beth is coming to stay with us, this weekend!" He announced, barely having time to get the words out before Quinn lunged herself into his arms, clutching at his shirt to make sure this was real.

"Please don't be joking with me. Please," she whispered, not sure she would handle this not being real for them.

"It's not a joke, baby. Beth will be with us Friday night," he murmured, stroking her cheek, smiling as she stared at him for a long moment, before beaming and hugging him tight. "Everything is perfect now, don't you see? We get to have Beth here with us, as a family. You're pregnant, with our ladybug and our jellybean. We're getting married, for real, and there's no more lies," he mumbled into her hair.

"No more lies," Quinn repeated, tightening her hold on him.

Did the silver lighter she had flushed away, count as a lie?

* * *

><p>"So they were right. You are preggers again," Santana noted, looking up from the suitcases she was packing to see the blonde stepping into her room, spotting the little bump right away. "This time I didn't find out from strangers that my best friend is knocked up, at least," she added bitterly, zipping the case shut.<p>

"Yes, I am pregnant. You know I would never lie about that, not after Beth," Quinn sighed, biting her lip before approaching her friend. "I'm sorry, for not telling you the truth about Puck and I. And I'm sorry Rachel told you before I had the chance too," she told her, knowing that was the real reason her friend was angry with her.

"No, I totally get it. You have some creepy mother bonding shit with the troll, whatever. I just thought that after being there with you since the start of high school, you could trust me with the truth," Santana sighed, setting her suitcase down on the floor. "We've done a lot of things, but we don't lie to each other, remember?" She asked, hands on her hips.

"I know you have a right to be upset with me, but I promise I didn't intentionally shut you out. I wanted to keep as many people in the dark as possible, to limit the chance of Puck's family finding out. They're the closest I've ever had to family, you know that. I didn't want to risk losing Puck, losing my chance to win him back, and when it wasn't me he was with, it was you. You were his first, you're special to him, and part of me feared he would leave me for you," Quinn admitted, dropping her head a little. "I know it sounds crazy to you," she added, seeing the look on her face, "but it makes sense to me."

"Quinn, you've never had any competition for his affections. I might have been the first person he had sex with, but you were his first. First love, first person he had ever made love to. He told me one drunken night in senior year, that he considered you his first, that he thought of you as the one he lost his virginity to, because before you, he didn't understand what sex truly was. You never had to fear losing him," Santana told her, sitting beside her on the bed. "Not to mention the many times he called out your name," she added with a snigger.

"I'm guilty of that, too," Quinn admitted with a laugh, remembering the look on Sam's face when she moaned for Puck whilst he was kissing her neck. "Thank you, for telling me that. It means a lot to me," she whispered, smiling a little and squeezing her hand.

"Oh, I know. I've slept with you before, remember?" Santana laughed, nudging the blonde who blushed and smiled a little. "I know you felt abandoned when you were pregnant with Beth, and I know I wasn't there for you the way I should have been, but I'm here now. You're my best friend, Lucy Q," she smiled, toying with her fingers.

"Well, seeing as you're my best friend, I have a confession to make," Quinn started, looking into the warm brown eyes next to her, ready to tell her friend about the lighter, and the fire, and the torn condoms. She would've, if it weren't for the knowing light in the Latina's eyes. "Beth is coming to stay with us this weekend, and over Hanukkah," she told her, instead, biting her lip.

"That's great, Quinn! I'm so happy for you, for both of you. But I know that's not what you want to tell me," Santana murmured, pursing her lips a little. "Any silver related confession to make? Anything about the fire that you haven't told me? Any reason you might be pregnant that I don't know of?" She asked, arching her brow as her friend's face drained of colour.

"I don't know what you're t-talking about," Quinn muttered quickly, getting up from the bed and licking her lips anxiously. "I should go get ready for Beth's s-stay," she mumbled, reaching for the door.

"Really, Q? So why did I find this silver lighter stuck in the drain outside, this morning? The same silver lighter that the police found in the remains of your house, the one I know for a fact is from the twin set you kept in your bedroom for years? And why did I find these broken condoms in your jacket?" Santana sighed, holding the lighter and a torn condom up, Quinn turning to face her with teary eyes.

"Please," she whispered, shaking her head at her friend.

"Why did you burn your house down, Quinn?" Santana asked, her voice softer than expected as she stared her friend in the eye, Quinn starting to cry, confirming that she had set the fire, and ruined the protection used with Puck. This was one hell of a secret to keep.

"Please. Please, don't," Quinn begged, knowing what came next.

"You have to tell Puck."

* * *

><p><em>Our love will be legend.<em>

_If we let it go, let it go, home._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Dun Dun Dun...<em>**

**_Again, I am so sorry for the wait between updates. I hope some of you still read this story._**

**_A review would be great, and I love you, a whole bunch load._**

**_Song lyrics used: David Baxter- Whispers._**


	19. Chapter 19

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. **_

_**A/N: I wanted to have this chapter posted Wednesday morning, but its been a crazy week so far for me, so I apologise for that, but hey at least its earlier than usual, right? On Sunday night, just before midnight, I uploaded a selfie to my swiftie instagram, and Taylor Swift herself liked it right after it went up. I cant believe it, and Taylor is definitely the reason behind my smile. 1989 came out Monday morning, so of course I've been occupied with keeping up with Taylor's interviews, and trying not to die because the album is THAT good. **_

_**Wonderland makes me think of Dianna, and I really recommend you all go buy a copy of 1989. Its truly the best album she's ever made. **_

_**Also, I've been looking through my stories, and I've been thinking of taking some down and maybe remodelling and reposting them. I'm not sure yet, but if you read them and they are taken down, that's why. Its mostly Mine? Yours and We're In The Lonely Hour that I'm debating over. **_

_**Thank you for your support. And I love you more than ever.**_

* * *

><p><em>Didn't they tell us don't rush into things? <em>

_Didn't you flash your green eyes at me? _

_Didn't you calm my fears with a Cheshire cat smile?_

* * *

><p>The house was deadly quiet, so quiet that a pin dropping would be heard from a mile away. Or maybe not, but that's the way it felt as Quinn bit her lip hard enough to draw blood as she made her way down the hall to her bedroom. Santana had held her whilst she cried for the past hour, cried for the possibility that she could lose everything, cried for the fact that she had made a mistake she wished she could take back. Puck deserved to know the truth, though, so she cried for as long as she could in Santana's warm arms, before finally summoning up the strength to go and tell Puck the truth.<p>

The doorknob to their bedroom felt ice cold as she wrapped her fingers around it, taking in a deep breath before quietly pushing it open and stepping into the lowly lit bedroom. She could make out Puck's form sat on the floor by the window, hunched over working on something. He was humming under his breath, a happy tune, a tune she hoped he would still be humming once he found out the truth.

But even she wasn't _that _naïve to think he would accept the truth of what she had done with a shrug and a smile.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Quinn asked softly, lowering herself down to the floor beside him and taking his hand in hers, smiling a little at the way his fingers instantly locked with hers. There were sheets of paper spread across the floor before them, but he moved them out of her sight, flashing her a cheeky grin when she frowned at him. "What's that?" she frowned, nodding her head to the papers he put into a drawer.

"A surprise," Puck answered simply, dropping a kiss on her forehead before locking the drawer, knowing that Quinn would've tried to sneak a peek when he was asleep if he didn't. He had never met someone that hated surprises as much as Quinn did. It was laughable, actually. "Hey, have you been crying?" he asked, his head snapping back to her, his hand coming up to cradle her cheek, noting the dampness there and the redness of her eyes. "Talk to me, tell me what's wrong," he murmured as she flinched a little, brushing his thumb over her lip gently.

"We need to talk," she croaked, sniffing a little and tucking her knees to her chest protectively, lowering her eyes so she didn't have to see the emotion in his big brown eyes. She didn't deserve for him to be worried about her, to want to comfort her. If anything, she should be the one comforting him.

"That's never good," he joked, frowning a little and sighing, leaning his back against the wall. He couldn't quite stop the pit forming in his stomach, dread leaking into his veins as she refused to look at him. Was this the talk that he had been afraid of, the one where she realised how much of a mistake she made agreeing to marry him, the talk that ended in him losing her all over again?

He wasn't liking the sound of this.

"I need to be honest with you and I know you're going to be angry with me and you have every right to be, but please just hear me out," she whispered, taking his hand in hers, sucking in a deep breath as Puck kept his worried eyes set on hers. "The night my house burnt down, I tampered with the condoms we used. That's why I always had them on me, because I was giving you the ones that had been broken already so that I could get pregnant again."

Puck stared at her for a long moment, his jaw clenching but allowing her to finish, tears filling her eyes as she continued, sniffling quietly

"I don't entirely know why I did it. I thought that now that I'd gotten rid of my past, our past, we could move forward and I thought a baby was the best way for us to do that. I wasn't in a good place and I let the crazy part of my brain take control for a split second and I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," she whispered, a ragged sob leaving her lips as he pulled his hand away from her.

"What do you mean you got rid of our past?" He asked slowly, a sick feeling settling low in his stomach, churning deep inside him. This just kept getting worse

Quinn sniffed again before reaching down the front of her dress, plucking something from her bra and holding it tight in her hand before pressing it into his. Part of him knew what it was before he opened his fist, but his jaw still dropped in shock anyway as he found a small, silver lighter nestled in his palm. It was identical to the lighter the police found in the ruins of Quinn's house.

"The lighters were a twin set that my mom got my father for his birthday the year I got pregnant with Beth. When he kicked me out, he used them to burn my things, to make out like I never existed. I found them in his study when I left for New York after college and kept them with me. I dont know why. My mind is pretty messed up about it all and I've been trying to get some help, I have. When you left to get the condoms, I went into the closet to find extra blankets and I found a picture of me and Russell. There were a few of them and I took them down to the kitchen to burn them with the lighters and then I went back to bed and fell asleep waiting for you," she explained, her eyes focused on the floor, not daring to look into his eyes.

"So, it was you? You were the one that burnt the house down? And then you lied to me, tricked me into believing we were protected?" he demanded, shock and anger lacing his words. She had been lying to his face for weeks. "If you wanted a baby so badly, why didn't you just talk to me about it? I would have given you a baby, you know I would. You didn't need to do any of this," he sighed, rubbing his face. He didn't understand any of this

"I didn't mean to burn the house, I didn't. I just wanted to get rid of those pictures and somehow they must have caught fire. I know, I should have told you, I know that now! I wanted a baby so badly and the last time I asked you to get me pregnant, you shot me down. Puck, please. You have to understand," she pleaded, grabbing hold of his hands in hers and squeezing them, tears in her eyes.

Puck was silent for a long time, so long that she almost thought he would never answer her, that he would just sit there frozen on the floor staring at her in a mixture of shock and disbelief. Quinn thrust her hands into her lap when it seemed he didn't want her to touch him, to try to keep herself from reaching out to him again, tears falling down her cheeks as he finally sighed and looked at her, hurt clear to see shining in those beautiful brown eyes of his.

"Say something," Quinn whispered tearfully, sniffing a little. "Please," she added, when it seemed he had lost the ability to speak to her.

"I don't understand. I don't understand why you would lie to me, why you wouldn't come to me with this," Puck sighed, leaning forward a little and rubbing his face with his hands, as if trying to wake up from a bad dream. "If you wanted a baby so badly, why didn't you just tell me? Please, explain it to me?" He asked, looking into her eyes. The fire he understood, sort of, but the whole lying about the protection and going behind his back, he didn't.

Not one bit.

"The last time we talked about having another baby, the last time I asked you to get me pregnant, you shot me down. Rejected me. I couldn't take that risk again, not now. I wanted our babies so badly, and I knew you would be happy. I wasn't thinking clearly, and I didn't want you to reject me again," she admitted, sniffing and wiping at her cheeks, biting on her lip as she chanced a glance at his face.

He looked so confused, and hurt, and upset, and she hated it. She hated that she had done this.

"That's what you were afraid of? You still think of me as that guy, the one that wouldn't give you another baby because I knew you were using me?" He demanded, getting to his feet and shaking his head. "Is that all this was to you? A way for you to finally get another baby out of me? This whole time we've been together, every time you've looked me in the eyes and told me that you love me and want to be with me, was that just a game to you? A way for you to get what you wanted from me?" He asked angrily, throwing his hands up in frustration. He didn't know what to believe anymore. "You lied to me, used me to get what you wanted," he finished, scoffing a little. He should've known better.

"No! That's not true, Noah, please. I love you, you know that. I wanted a baby, a family with you. This was more than that to me. Please, don't say that," she breathed, her tears falling faster as she got up and reached for his hand, wincing as he pulled away from her, stepping out of her reach.

"How am I supposed to believe that, Quinn? How am I supposed to believe that you truly want to be with me, when you've been lying to my face for weeks?! You promised there would be no more lies for us, that we would be truthful with each other from now on," he reminded her, sighing and tilting his head back for a long moment. "And the fire, the fire that almost killed both of us, and the babies. Why? Why did you do that?! Why would you hurt yourself like that?!" He yelled, frustrated with all the questions he had that he couldn't quite voice. "Has this all just been a lie?" He asked finally, looking her in the eye.

Quinn was full on crying at this point. She knew he had every right in the world to be angry with her; Santana had explained that to her several times over. But she hadn't expected him to start questioning their relationship, questioning her feelings for him.

"It's not a lie, Noah. I love you, I love you so much," she whispered, hugging herself tight as the tears continued to fall down her cheeks.

"I don't know if I can believe anything you say, right now," Puck admitted, fighting back his own tears. "I don't understand any of this. It's just too much," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose as Quinn cried harder. He hated it when she cried, hated the way she seemed to fall apart at the seams as tears ran down her cheeks.

"I know you're angry with me, Puck. I know that, and I know that I deserve it, but I'm begging you to hear me out. I never once lied to you about loving you. Every word I've said to you about the way I feel for you is true, more so now than ever. Please, we can work this out. I can fix this. Please," she begged as he grabbed his jacket from the chair in the corner. "Where are you going? Puck, no. Please, don't leave me. Please, we can talk about this," she cried desperately, shaking her head frantically.

"I don't know how to be here with you right now, Quinn. You lied to me. After everything we've been through, we've never lied to each other like this. I feel like you've had this ulterior motive the whole time we've been together. I should have known that finally having you was too good to be true. God, do you know how pathetic that makes me feel? I need you, Quinn. I need you to be there when I fall asleep and when I wake up. I need our babies, I need to feel your bump pressed into me whilst you sleep. I need you, but I don't know for sure that you need me," he confessed, grabbing his car keys from her dresser. "I need some space, time alone to get my head straight," he told her, pulling open their bedroom door and heading for the stairs.

Quinn ran blindly after him, tears streaming down her face. "Please! Please don't leave me," she begged, following him down the stairs, grasping his hands and pulling him to her, crushing her lips to his. "You promised. You promised you wouldn't leave me here alone," she sobbed, her hands falling away from his face at the look in his eyes.

"I love you, Lucy," Puck murmured before he left, closing the front door behind him and heading for his car.

Quinn slid down the door to crumple on the doormat, crying into her knees as she heard the engine start, then his car driving away from the house.

Away from her.

"Quinn?" Santana asked from the stairs, her voice raspy with sleep and her footsteps heavy against the wooden steps. "I heard shouting, are you ok?" She frowned, coming over to kneel before her friend, sighing and trying her best to wipe away her tears.

"You were right. He didn't understand why I lied to him. He thinks that I don't love him, that I used him for the babies," Quinn croaked, her face crumbling as she fell into her friend's arms. "I love him so much, but he won't forgive me. Not now," she sobbed, burying her face in her neck as Santana rocked her back and forth.

"He'll forgive you, Q. He just needs time to think. It'll be ok, sweetheart, he loves you. Puckerman is an idiot, but he loves you, so much. He'll come back, I promise," Santana murmured, stroking her hair. "Come on, let's get you up to bed. I bet he'll be back by the time you wake up again," she smiled, helping her up and guiding her back up the stairs to bed, the blonde slumping down into his pillows, breathing in his smell.

Quinn didn't sleep at all that night.

And Puck didn't come back.

* * *

><p>The bed was cold when she woke up, and she knew without opening her eyes that Puck hadn't come home last night. Not that she had expected him to, but it didn't hurt any less when she finally sat up and saw the bed sheets still neatly made on her side of the bed. She had purposely slept on his side of the bed last night, so she could smell him on the pillows, but also so that he would have to wake her up if he did come home and come back to bed with her. Puck never slept on the right side of the bed.<p>

She could hear hushed voices from outside the bedroom door, the voices of Santana and Ruth, quietly talking about how Puck hadn't come home all night. Part of her wondered if Santana had told them all what she had done. If she had, they probably wouldn't forgive her either. Maybe she should just leave, go back to New York before Puck had the chance to tell her he didn't want her, before she had to see the way his family would look at her. She could probably fit out of the window.

Maybe.

Possibly.

Probably not.

Quinn slumped back down against the pillows with a heavy sigh and rolled onto her side, pulling the covers up over her head so she couldn't see or hear anything outside of her room. She used to do that when she was a child- hide under the bed covers and cover her ears so she wouldn't have to hear the drunken yells of her father, or the smashing of things from her mother. Her childhood had been miserable, and she had vowed one night under the bed sheets that her children would never suffer like that, would never hear their parents screaming and breaking things. Her children would have two parents that loved each other, that would never fight and hurt each other.

As her hand found its way to her little bump, she closed her eyes tight, hating that she had seemingly already broken that promise.

* * *

><p>"Another of whatever that was," Puck ordered as he slammed his shot glass back down on the bar, nodding his head towards the shelves of alcohol. He hated that he had left Quinn, but he needed time alone. Time to think about the things she had told him, time to try to come up with his own explanation as to why she would have lied like that. Quinn had promised that she loved him, that she wanted him, and at the time he had believed her. Now, he wasn't so sure.<p>

She had been lying to his face for weeks, keeping quiet about what had really happened whilst he argued over the phone with the police who still hadn't found whoever it was that had set her house on fire and almost killed them both. He had never been so scared in his life, and he had spent weeks pretending to sleep, a baseball bat beside the bed whilst Quinn slept peacefully in his arms, so that if the person out there that had tried to hurt her ever came back, he would make sure they didn't lay a finger on her.

It turns out the person he had spent weeks hating and wishing to find and lock away had been sleeping in his arms every night.

The thought made him toss back another shot, wincing at the burning sensation in his throat and sighing, looking around the dimly lit bar. There weren't many people there, a couple cuddled up in one of the booths in the back corner, and a few sad looking men and women sat at the bar, hoping to drown their sorrows in the amber coloured liquid before them. He had once laughed at those people when out with friends in a bar, wondering why they didn't just sober up and go home to fix whatever had made them leave in the first place.

He hated that now he understood exactly why it wasn't so easy to just sober up and leave.

Quinn was his soul mate, the love of his life. She had been ever since they were fourteen and he bumped into her in the hallway on the way to football try outs. Her piercing hazel eyes and bright smile had stolen his heart right there, and she still held it now, almost twelve years later. He would take a million bullets for her in a heart beat, to save her from ever being hurt again, to keep that beautiful smile on her lips.

She was his everything.

But maybe he wasn't hers, after all.

After that, the shots slid far too easily down his throat, the burn barely there.

He had felt worse.

* * *

><p>"Come on Quinn! You can't hide in there forever!" Santana yelled, banging her fists loudly on the locked wooden door, growling a little as the blonde ignored her yet again, looking over to Marley and arching a brow, wondering if she had any smart ideas on how to coax the blonde out long enough to eat. It wasn't like she was doing anything better, just stood there watching as she yelled for the blonde to move her ass. "You got any smart ideas, Strawberry Shortcake?" she asked snarkily, hands on her hips as the brunette blushed. Pussy.<p>

"I mean, if she doesn't eat, that won't be good for the babies, will it? That might get her out," Marley suggested weakly, looking to Jake for help. Santana had been great when she was still in high school, and she had mentored her for sectionals. But that was years ago, and the Latina barely cracked a smile at her these days.

"Ignore her, her bark is worse than her bite," Jake shrugged, rubbing her arm soothingly and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She had told him she loved him too, but that didn't mean she had forgiven him. But he wasn't going to give up, not again. He would win her back, even if it took a lifetime.

"You sure about that, hobbit? I could cut your ass into shreds before you had chance to lift a finger," Santana smiled back at him, rolling her eyes and turning back to the bedroom door, kicking it for good measure. "Come on Q! I know you're upset and shit but you need to eat, for the baby's sake if not for yourself," she called, banging on the door again before kneeling down and pressing her ear to the door. "You in there, Lucy Q?" she asked softly, smiling a little at the three soft taps she received in response, hearing Quinn's weight shift against the door.

It was something they had done for as long as she could remember. If one of them locked themselves away, they were always to sit at the door, and wait for the other to come and get them. One tap in response to the question meant they were just taking a breather, two taps meant they needed time alone, and three meant they were a complete mess and wanted to hide away from the world.

"I know you want to hide away in there, and wait for him to come back, but you need to eat. The twins need their Mommy to look after herself. Just open the door and come eat. You can go right back to bed if you want, but you need to eat," she murmured into the door hinges, ignoring the weird looks she got from Marley and Jake.

There was silence for a long moment, before the lock turned and the door opened to reveal Quinn dressed in one of Puck's shirts and his boxers. At least, it looked like Quinn, but then again it didn't at the same time. Her blonde hair was knotted and tangled from her restless sleep, her eyes red and puffy from crying, and her cheeks were stained with black streaks from yesterday's mascara. She looked like a train wreck and all three of them sucked in a surprised breath at the sight of her.

The only time Santana had ever seen Quinn like this was when she gave Beth up for adoption. When Finn had broken up with her, she had cried throughout the night, but the next day was flawlessly put together and happily showing everyone that she was fine without him; she had Puck to look after her. When Sam had left her, she had sulked for an hour or so, and then gone right back to life as if Sam never happened. When she caught Jason cheating on her, she had smashed windows and screamed a lot, but even then she was ok, and was perfectly fine the next day. But without Puck, she was a wreck.

She needed him.

"Ok, sweetheart. Lets go get something to eat, ok?" Santana smiled, taking hold of Quinn's arm and gently pulling her towards the stairs, wincing a little at the sound of Quinn sniffing pitifully behind her as she trudged down the stairs after her. She wasn't sure what she could do to make Quinn feel any better, so she tried to just be there for her, serve as a shoulder to cry on. "Do pancakes sound good?" she asked, leading her into the kitchen, Ruth looking up from her newspaper with wide eyes at Quinn.

Quinn made a grunting noise and sat down and the breakfast bar, her head dropping into her hands with a heavy sigh. She didn't care what Santana gave her to eat, she would eat it anyways for the twins. She knew Ruth was sat across the bar from her, but she didn't want to look at her, see the pity in her eyes. All she wanted was Puck, but evidently he still wasn't here.

"How are you feeling, Quinn?" Ruth asked gently, clearing her throat a little and reaching across the bar to take Quinn's hand in hers, squeezing lightly. Santana had told her the truth this morning- after a lot of pestering- about why Noah and Quinn had been arguing late last night. They had all heard them, heard the shouting and the screaming and the crying, but didn't know why they were fighting. She was disappointed in both of them, Quinn for lying, and Noah for leaving.

"Lost," Quinn told her honestly, sniffing a little and letting her hands drop to the table. "I feel lost," she sighed, brushing her fingers over her bump. She didn't feel right at all with Puck not being beside her, trying to grope her or dropping sweet kisses on her lips every now and again. It was as though her body craved him, as if she was addicted to him. She needed him with her.

But he wasn't there, because she had lied. She had hurt him.

"Here, eat up, Lucy Q," Santana urged, setting the plate of pancakes before the pregnant blonde who simply stared back at her through red rimmed eyes. "You'll feel better," she sighed, sitting down on a stool after handing Quinn a glass of water to take with her prenatal vitamins.

The kitchen was silent for a long moment, before Quinn spoke up again, her voice thin and whispery. "Do you think he'll ever forgive me?" she asked quietly, asking both of them, and neither of them. She just wanted an honest answer, an opinion. Something other than her own mind which had their fight on constant loop.

"Honestly?" Ruth asked, the blonde nodding her head, her eyes sad and pleading with her for an honest answer. "I think he's going to be hurt for a long time, insecure maybe, about your relationship and the lies. I'm not against you at all, Quinn, but you lied to him a number of times the past few weeks. He has a right to question things, question your relationship, question if its real for you the way it is for him. He would never admit it to anyone, but he had never felt deserving of you. I think this is something that time, and a lot of talking will have to heal. He just needs to know you love him," she sighed, offering her a small smile. "But yes, I think he will forgive you. I think he's probably just blowing off some steam at the gym," she told the poor blonde, squeezing her hand and catching Santana's gaze, the two sharing a knowing look. She prayed Noah hadn't reverted to his old ways.

"But I do!" Quinn cried desperately, hot tears filling her eyes and threatening to spill over at any moment as she looked between the two. "I do love him! I've always loved him, ever since we were fourteen and I walked right into him in the hall. That stupid Mohawk and that beautiful smile stole my heart, and he still has it. He's always had it! Finn, Sam, Joe, Biff, Jason, they were nothing but distractions! I love Puck, more than anything, and I need him," she sobbed frantically, tears spilling down her cheeks, Santana getting up and moving closer to her. "San, you're his best friend! He knows, right? He knows how much I love him? How much I need him?" she asked, grasping at her friend's hands.

"Of course he does, Q," Santana sighed, taking Quinn in her arms and rubbing her back as she cried. "He knows you love him, I'm sure of it."

* * *

><p>"I mean, how am I supposed to believe anything she says anymore?" Puck asked finally, looking to Artie who sighed and squeezed Kitty's hand. "I don't know how long she's been lying, how many things she's lied to me about. I want to go home to her, fix things, hold her, but every time I go to leave, I remember the fact that she looked me in the eye and lied. And I still feel like she holding something back from me," he sighed, rubbing his face a little. "She doesn't trust me, and right now, I don't trust her either."<p>

"Look, man, we all know Quinn has a tendency to act a little crazy at times," Artie started, Puck cutting him off.

"Hey!" Puck snapped, frowning at him. "Don't talk about her like that," he warned, lifting his glass and taking a long gulp of coke. Alcohol didn't hold any draw at all anymore. He didn't want to turn into his father, leaving and drinking. That wasn't him, and wouldn't ever be him. He wasn't his father.

"What he meant was Quinn tends to act first and think later. She obviously had her own reasons for what she did, and whilst lying about it was wrong, you leaving her is just as wrong. You're sat here sulking over not having her, and she's probably doing the same thing at home. You both just need to talk," Kitty sighed, snapping a breadstick. The ones here were actually fresh, unlike the ones in Lima. "You have every right to be hurt over what she did, but is it really enough for you to leave her? She made a mistake, and you don't know where her head was in that moment. Do you really want to lose her because of that, after you finally got her back?" she asked softly, offering him a sympathetic smile.

"She's right, man. The whole time we were in high school you two wanted each other. We could all see it; every time you sang Quinn pretty much went into Wonderland," Artie snorted, shaking his head a little as he remembered the way Quinn would gaze at Puck, no matter who it was she was dating at that time. It hadn't surprised him at all when Quinn admitted Puck was Beth's father, after watching the glances and little smiles the two exchanged when they thought no one was watching, the touches and the way Puck always rushed to her defence. "What? Being in a chair makes you a people watcher," he shrugged, winking at Kitty who simply smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Didn't everyone lose their minds in Wonderland by the end of the film?" Puck muttered bitterly, looking around the room with a sigh. Wonderland was a pretty accurate description of his and Quinn's relationship, of their love. It always felt as though he had fallen down a rabbit hole when he was around Quinn.

Maybe they had both lost their minds.

"That's not the point, idiot. The point is Quinn has only ever had eyes for you, the way you've only ever had eyes for her. You'd be an idiot not to see how much you love each other. Quinn loves you, Puck, no matter how many mistakes she makes, that won't change. You just have to decide if she's worth it," Kitty told him simply, getting up and hanging her purse on the handle of Artie's chair as he took the brake off.

"Of course she's worth it," Puck frowned, arching his brow a little at the mound of Kitty's stomach that seemed to house more than the burrito she had eaten for lunch. "Congratulations," he offered to Artie who fist pumped the air, glad that someone had noticed Kitty's bump.

"Well, then there's your answer."

* * *

><p>Quinn groaned at the knock on the door, not in the mood to talk to anyone. She had been eating, and she had taken a shower, so they had nothing left to whine at her to do. She was more than happy sitting in bed staring at the sonogram of her babies, her perfect things that were innocent and had never experienced the cruelty of the world. And they never would, not if she had it her way.<p>

"Go away," Quinn called as someone knocked on the door again, running her fingers through her hair and opening up her laptop, deciding she might as well get some of her cases looked at and worked on. It was better than trying to sleep away the fact that she had caused the man she loved to walk out on her. Maybe she should take a vacation to New York and check on her assistant, her clients. Would that give Puck a chance to think more? To forgive her?

Too bad she had no house left to go back to.

"Santana, I'm really not in the mood right now," she sighed as her bedroom door opened a little, frowning as Jake peered into her room, a cautious look in her eyes. "Has he come home?" she asked hopefully, moving her laptop from her lap and moving to get up from the bed. She knew he wouldn't leave her for good, knew he would come back for her and their babies. "I knew he wouldn't leave me, not for good," she smiled, her bare feet padding against the wooden floor.

"Quinn, its not- he's not back yet," Jake sighed, reaching out to stop Quinn, touching her shoulder and frowning a little at how hot her skin felt through the shirt. "But he hasn't left you for good, either. I promise," he promised, feeling awful as her smile froze and dropped completely from her face, her shoulders drooping in defeat as she walked back to bed and climbed back in, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Why are you here, then? I don't like you, and you don't like me. I thought you would be having a filed day with this. You finally get rid of me," she muttered bitterly, turning her attention back to the email from her assistant informing her on a new divorce case that had popped up.

"Hey, I'm not happy that you two are fighting, ok? Yes, I don't really like you much but that's a mutual feeling, right? You don't like me because I hurt Marley, and I don't like you because of the times you've hurt my brother. I just wanted to check that you were ok," he frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as she snorted in response. She really was a pain to try to work with. He wanted to try to come to some sort of truce with the woman that was carrying his nieces/nephews inside her, for his brother's sake, but she wasn't exactly making it easy.

"At least I love your brother. I would never cheat on him," she snapped, stretching her legs out and typing a response out to her assistant to forward the information of the case to her so she could determine if she could do it, or if it was better suited to another lawyer in their company. She hated to give cases to her competition, but she hated letting clients down, more.

"You lied to him, though. We're both in the wrong," he replied, sitting on the bed and fighting the urge to grin triumphantly as Quinn clenched her jaw and scowled at him, not able to come up with an answer to that. "I want us to try to at least be civil with each other. You're family, the twins are family, and that means something to me. I've never had a family before, and I don't want there to be any unpleasantness," he sighed, looking her in the eye so she would see he was genuine.

Quinn remained silent, her eyes focussed on her laptop screen, clearly ignoring what he had to say. Fine, at least he tried. Jake got up with a sigh and headed for the door, reaching for the door handle, pausing when he heard Quinn speak up.

"The reason I hated you so much, was because you reminded me of myself. You're a cheater, I'm a cheater. You hurt people, and I hurt a hell of a lot more," Quinn admitted, pursing her lips a little as Jake turned back to face her. "When I found out that you had cheated on Marley, do you know where I was? What I was doing?" she asked, arching her brow a little, Jake shaking his head and sitting back down on the bed, interested in what she had to say. "I was in bed with your brother. When you called him to tell him you cheated, I was right there in bed with him, cheating on my boyfriend at the time. I was selfish, I wanted your brother, but I wanted the social status and the fancy clothes, the pearls and the shiny things. I listened to your conversation on the phone, and after he hung up, he kissed me and I knew it was different. He didn't want to be my bit on the side, my dirty secret, so we cut things off. I hurt him, just like you hurt Marley," she sighed, rubbing her bump a little.

"I knew you were there. I could hear you in the background telling him to hang up, asking what was going on. He came to me after you both broke things off and told me how much he hated loving you, how shit it made him feel that he was never good enough for you. I hated you for making him feel that way, for hurting him, but I did the same thing to Marley. And I've lost her for that. Maybe we are more alike than I thought," he mused, smiling a little as she nodded her head and sighed.

"Marley still loves you, you know that. Its not too late to fix what you had, what you could still have. I might have lost Puck because of the mistakes I've made, but Marley is still here, she came here with you. Doesn't that tell you anything? Its not over, not for her and not for you. You can still fix it, and you should. You'll only regret it if you don't. Trust me," she advised, offering him a small smile and brushing her fingers over her bump.

Maybe Jake wasn't so bad after all.

Jake nodded thoughtfully, chewing his lip and toying with the blanket for a long moment, before looking up at her. "I'll make you a deal. I'll go and talk to Marley, try to fix things with her and apologise for everything, _if _you pick up the phone and call Puck and tell him to come home," he offered, smirking a little at the scowl that crossed her face momentarily before she sighed and her face crumpled a little. Damn it. "Hey, don't cry," he frowned, looking around before awkwardly pulling her into a hug, rubbing her back a little as she sagged against his chest.

"I've called him thirteen times this morning. He doesn't want to talk to me," she sobbed, hating that Jake smelt like Puck, and comforted by it at the same time.

"Wow, stalker much?" he teased, gaining a tearful hiccup of a laugh from the blonde. "Look, you love him right? Don't give up on him. Even if you have to call thirteen hundred times until he answers. Do everything you can to make him listen. You're not a bad person," he told her honestly, because he could see now that she really wasn't a bad person.

She had made mistakes, but who hadn't?

"You know, you're not actually all that bad," she sniffed, pulling away and wiping her eyes. She could cry for America now she was pregnant again, her emotions changing faster than she could turn a light switch on and off.

"I'll take that as an accomplishment and leave before you change your mind," he joked, ruffling her hair up and getting up, heading for the door, his shoulders a little lighter than before. Maybe Quinn was right, maybe he did have a chance at winning Marley back, after all. "Call him," he added, looking over his shoulder and nodding his head at the phone that sat on the table by the bed.

Quinn nodded and watched him close the door before reaching for her phone, taking a deep breath before hitting speed dial and holding it to her ear, praying to hear his voice again. It was strange how much she missed his voice, his touch, _him. _

"Hi. Its Quinn, I- I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry for lying to you.."

* * *

><p>"You heading home now, or do you have some time for a little chat?" A blonde asked with a sweet smile, leaning her body into his, making sure to press her boobs together with her arms to give him a clear view of her cleavage in her neon pink tank top.<p>

"I'm going home," Puck told her, not interested in her flirting or the way she rubbed her body against him. He had never liked those women that hung around in bars in tight, short denim skirts and neon latex tops, their fake tan not flattering them at all. Sure, he had screwed a few back in high school when he was depressed over Quinn, but they never did it for him. He much preferred Quinn's pure white dresses and her natural makeup. She was a lot sexier than the women here, than the woman trying to grope him beneath the table.

"Really? Well, why don't I come with you, make a night of it?" she smiled, reaching for the button of his jeans and licking his lips. "Come on, I'll make you forget all about the girl that broke your heart. You won't even remember her name when we're done, I promise. I'll make you feel so good," she hummed, leaning in for a kiss, her eyes wide when he turned his head away from her.

"Look, I get that hooking up with random guys in a bar might seem fun to you or whatever, but I'm not interested. I have a fiancé waiting at home, a wonderful, amazing woman who is pregnant with our babies. Just because we've had a fight, doesn't mean I'm going to screw the first woman to throw herself at me, got it? Maybe you should just go home, clean up and find a hobby to occupy your time instead, or a job," he sighed, pushing her away and getting up from the stool.

"You're a jerk," she announced, glaring at him before huffing and stomping across the bar back to her friends, the group of women shooting him death glares.

It wasn't his problem that he wasn't a cheater.

"You off now?" Mike, the barman asked with a grin as he came over to collect the empty coke glasses from Puck who nodded and picked up his jacket. "Good on you, son. You tell that pretty fiancé of yours that I'm rooting for you guys, you here? And I want to see the wedding pictures, too," he grinned, clapping him on the back. Puck had been a friend for years, as their families often shared dinners together and other little get togethers, and so he knew exactly who Quinn was, and Beth. The two deserved a happy ending more than most.

"Yeah, its getting late and I don't want her to be sat at home worrying all night. You don't need pictures; you know my Grams will invite your whole family," he laughed, Mike shrugging and smiling in response. "I'll tell her, though," he nodded, finding his phone in his pocket as he felt it start to buzz, Quinn calling him yet again. He had been putting off answering her calls all day, not ready to listen to what she had to say, but he missed her. There would be a better reason for Quinn lying to him, and he knew she would tell him the truth, now.

He had been stupid to doubt that she loved him.

"Hey, babe. I'm on my way home now, and we'll talk it all out, ok?" Puck smiled, answering the phone as he left the bar and stepped out into the cool night air, crossing the parking lot to his car, rooting for his keys in his jean pocket. He missed Quinn's touch, and he just wanted to feel her again, feel that she loved him and make her feel that he loved her just as much.

"Noah? Its Ian, from the New York police department. You asked me to keep tabs on the case of your fiancé's house fire, in case we ever found evidence of who it was that had set the fire, remember? Well, we found it, finally. The evidence came in this morning," Ian told him, glad that they finally had an answer to the fire, an answer that would put the poor man's mind at rest as to who was out there looking to hurt his fiancé.

"What do you mean you've found evidence?" Puck asked, stopping and leaning against his car. Had Quinn turned herself in? Was there CCTV footage that showed it was Quinn who had set the fire? Would she face a court trial and imprisonment for arson, or would they let her off? He had no idea, and it scared the hell out of him.

"We know who set the fire. He was brought into custody this afternoon. I'll call back when we have more information," Ian smiled, shifting papers on his desk and looking out in disgust at the man who sat in the cell across from him. "You and your fiancé are perfectly safe, now," he told him, disgusted at the man's motive behind the fire, hanging up the phone.

Puck slowly lowered his phone and blinked a few times.

Quinn hadn't set the fire, after all?

* * *

><p>"...and I'm sorry if you ever doubted that I love you. I do, and I always have. Its always been you for me, you're the only one. I love you so much, and I hope you can forgive me for what I've done. Please, come home," Quinn whispered, sniffing and getting up from the bed, walking slowly around the bedroom. "I miss you, I miss your voice, I miss your touch, I miss your smell. I miss you, and I just- I can fix all of this, if you just give me the chance to-" she cut off with a wince, groaning a little and rubbing her bump. "I think the twins miss their Daddy, too," she laughed, frowning as her stomach tightened painfully again, breathing out and steadying herself on the chest of drawers. "Just, come home, please?" she pleaded, her voice thin and breathless, squeezing her eyes shut tight and crying out at the pain that gripped her body, dropping the phone and crying out for Ruth, for Santana, for anyone.<p>

"Quinn?! What's going on?!" Ruth asked breathlessly as she ran into the bedroom, flicking on the lights, her eyes growing wide at the sight of the blonde hunched over in pain, one hand clutching her bump and the other scrabbling at her chest frantically, her mouth opening and closing several times without making a single sound.

"Mom, what's happening?" Hannah asked tearfully from behind her mother, her hands flying to her mouth in horror as Quinn fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as Ruth tried to figure out what was happening.

"Oh my God," Santana breathed from beside her, seeing what a moment later the rest of them saw.

Blood.

"Call an ambulance!" Ruth yelled, catching Quinn as she slumped sideways, wheezing for air, her eyes staring at them all, the hazel orbs shining with tears of pain that streamed down her pale cheeks. "Breathe, Quinn, breathe," she urged, Santana yelling down the phone at the paramedics to hurry, tears burning her eyes at the sight of her best friend on the bedroom floor, bleeding in a place she shouldn't be, and struggling to breathe.

"Can't...breathe...babies," Quinn gasped, scrabbling at her chest as black spots began to appear in her vision, the family stood before her beginning to turn into a mix of swirling colours, making her feel as though she was in Wonderland, Cheshire cat smiles and swirling colours filling her vision until she couldn't see anymore, her body slumping lifelessly into Ruth's arms.

And then there was nothing.

* * *

><p><em>We found Wonderland, you and I got lost in it.<em>

_And we pretended it could last forever._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Lyrics used: Taylor Swift- Wonderland.<strong>_

_**See you next time.**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_

_**A/N: sorry for the update wait, I know its been a while and usually I've updated by now, but this week has been really hard for me personally, and I just haven't been in the right mind set at all to write. Plus, I've been without my laptop for a week so yeah. Its not an excuse, I know, but I hope y'all understand that there are good days and bad. But, here we are, and I hope this chapter makes up for the wait :)**_

* * *

><p><em>Your kiss, my cheek. I watched you leave.<em>

_Your smile, my ghost. __I fell to my knees._

* * *

><p>Puck gripped the steering wheel in both hands as he sped down the dark roads, the humming of the engine filling his ears. He had so many questions racing around his mind after the phone call from Ian, and he knew they were questions that only Quinn had answers to, apparently. If the police had evidence, and had caught the person that set fire to Quinn's house, that mean two things. She was innocent and that she was covering for someone.<p>

But who?

Who could there be that she would cover for, after they almost killed her, almost killed the both of them? Was it an ex lover? Did she still have feelings for someone, still loved someone enough to cover up for them? Was this her way of getting rid of him? Her way of making him leave her so she was free to go back to her ex boyfriend? He had no idea what was going on, and he hated it. He hated being on the outside again, hated that Quinn was lying to him and keeping things from him.

An ambulance sped by, but he ignored it, pounding his fist into the steering wheel in frustration as he raced down the street, the headlights casting a golden glow over the trees as he neared home. He wanted to have a plan, a speech that he could use to confront Quinn about the truth, but his mind was too messed up to even think straight, let alone formulate a plan. Quinn had always been hard to read, but this was something he had never seen before. She hadn't kept secrets like this from him before.

Quinn was the love of his life, the only one for him, the only woman he had ever wanted and loved and treasured. Her and their life together was everything he wanted, and she was easily the centre of his world, along with their children. But maybe he just wasn't hers after all, if she didn't trust him with the truth. She didn't trust him, and he didn't trust her either, not now. He wasn't sure he could believe a word that left her beautifully pink lips, anymore. What if she really was covering for an ex lover? Would he be able to forgive her for that?

He just didn't know.

The gravel of the driveway crunched beneath the tires as he pulled up in front of the garage, his eyes attracted to a flashing just out of his view, his jaw dropping at the sight of an ambulance parked before the front porch, the doors thrown wide open and lights flashing frantically. Puck got out of the car and left the door open, making his way slowly towards his house, as if in a trance. What had happened whilst he was gone? Had something happened to his Grams? If it had, he would never forgive himself.

"Hannah? What's going on?" Puck asked, spotting his little sister huddled on the bottom step, tears streaming down her pink cheeks, her eyes red and puffy, and full of anger as she lifted her gaze to him. Shit, this definitely wasn't good.

"How dare you!" Hannah screamed, getting to her feet and storming over to him, punching his chest angrily as tears rushed faster down her cheeks. "How dare you leave us like that!" she cried, hitting his chest over and over again in anger before sagging against him and crying into his shirt, winding her arms tight around his waist as he held her close. Her Mom and Santana had sent her downstairs to wait for the ambulance, and when it had arrived a few seconds ago, she had been told to stay out of the way. She had no idea what was wrong with Quinn, and she hated it. She hated not knowing.

"Shh, its ok, Han. What's happening? Talk to me, tell me what's happened," he pleaded, his eyes growing wide as paramedics ran down the stairs and out to the waiting ambulance, racing back up the wooden stairs with a stretcher and oxygen tank in hand. This really wasn't good. "Is it Grams, is she ok?" he asked, feeling tears begin to sting his eyes at the thought. He knew it would happen eventually, but not this soon. Not before the wedding, not now.

Before she had chance to answer, frantic murmurs came from the top of his stairs, and he felt his blood run cold like ice through his veins as the stretcher came into view, his heart dropping completely.

It wasn't his Grams' lifeless body that was strapped to the stretcher that was being rushed down the stairs, and it wasn't his Grams that had an oxygen mask held to her face whilst his Mom and Santana ran down the stairs after the stretcher, tears staining their cheeks.

It was Quinn.

"No," he breathed out in horror, shaking his head at the sight of Quinn's pale face covered by the mask that was forcing oxygen into her body, grabbing out at her as the paramedics rushed past him, clutching her cool hand in his as he ran alongside the stretcher. "Quinn, no. Baby, please! Open your eyes, Q, please. Wake up," he begged, tears falling down his cheeks as he squeezed her hand, willing her to squeeze back as they ran to the ambulance. "Please," he pleaded, covering his mouth in horror as the unconscious blonde was loaded into the back of the ambulance.

"Sir, we need to get her to the hospital immediately," a paramedic told him, climbing in and making sure Quinn was securely strapped in as another started the engine, the sirens piercing the air as the lights spun faster, almost as fast as his mind that wouldn't stop spinning. This was all his fault. He never should've left her. "Are you her husband? Are you the father?" he asked, nudging the poor man who seemed to be in a state of shock as he stared at Quinn's body.

"Yes, yes. Is she ok? Is she gonna be ok? Will the babies be ok?" he asked frantically as he got into the ambulance, refusing to be apart from Quinn for another second, the lies and anger quickly forgotten as he watched oxygen be forced into her body, holding tight to her hand. He never should have left her alone. She shouldn't have had to go through this all on her own, kissing her fingers as the ambulance pulled away from the house.

"We dont know," the paramedic told him honestly as the ambulance raced down the streets, Quinn's eyes closed and her body unresponsive to anything, and anyone. The poor woman was completely out of it. "She's not breathing properly, so it doesn't look good," he admitted with a sigh, adjusting the mask on the blonde's face, checking her pulse again with a sigh of relief.

"Please," Puck breathed, slumping forward to press his head against Quinn's chest, closing his eyes tight against the tears. "Please dont leave me," he begged, holding both her hands tight in his, refusing to ever let go of her again.

He couldn't lose her, or their babies.

* * *

><p>The hospital was too quiet, the only sound being the squeaking of shoes against the floor and the ticking of the clock, that seemed to drag by as he paced back and forth outside the room they had taken Quinn into. His Mom and Hannah had followed in the car with his Grams, and they were all sat in the waiting room praying for Quinn and the twins. He didn't see the point in asking someone else for help, someone that had never answered his prayers before. There was nothing else he could think of to do but pace back and forth, thinking of every possibility there could be for Quinn collapsing like that. He wished there was someone he could blame, someone that he could punish for doing this, but there wasn't anyone. His Mom had told him Quinn was alone in her bedroom, so there was no one there to cause her any harm.<p>

The only person he could think of to blame was himself.

If he hadn't left her, he would've been there with her when she started to have problems breathing, when she collapsed, when she started to bleed. If he had stayed, she wouldn't have been so upset, wouldn't have been stressed. If only he had answered her calls, let her know he still loved her, that he was just taking a breather to get his thoughts straight.

Instead he left her there alone.

"Its not your fault, son. There weren't any signs of Quinn suffering from pain today. No one could've known this would happen," Ruth murmured, coming up behind her son and rubbing his shoulder, pulling him to a stop. "There's no point in beating yourself up, Noah. That girl in there needs you, needs you to be strong for her, whatever the outcome of tonight is. Just sit down, drink something, please," she sighed, her eyes pleading with him to listen to her. The last thing they needed was Noah breaking down as well as Quinn.

"Is someone in there telling her to drink, huh? Was anyone there to make sure Quinn was ok?" Puck snapped back in response, his words cold and harsh as he pointed towards the closed door of Quinn's hospital room. "I'm sorry," he sighed, feeling guilty as his Mom winced. "I'm just- I left her, Mom. I left her all alone and I promised her I wouldn't do that to her. If something happens to her, if she loses the twins, its on my hands. I'll have their blood on my hands," he muttered, sinking into a plastic seat and burying his face in his hands, the clock ticking as slowly and as loudly as ever.

Ruth sighed and lowered herself to kneel before him, taking his hands in hers and looking into his eyes. "This isn't your fault, Noah. Its not anyone's fault. These things happen sometimes, as much as we wish they didn't, they do. Something happened to her body that was out of her control, out of our control, out of _your _control. We don't know what's caused this, and you can't blame yourself. Quinn loves you, she loves you so much, just as much as you love her. She doesn't blame you, I know she doesn't, so don't blame yourself," she murmured, stroking his cheek lovingly with a sigh. "Hannah is praying for Quinn, do you want to maybe join her? It might help you feel a little better," she suggested, frowning a little. There wasn't really much she could think of to do in a situation like this, except offer her family comfort.

"Yeah, thanks, Mom," he sighed tiredly, getting to his feet and rubbing his face before heading over to where his sister was huddled in the corner of the waiting room, sinking down to sit beside her, their backs against the white wall, taking her hand silently in his as he stared at Quinn's room, wishing he was in there with her.

"She'll be ok, Noah," Hannah whispered, squeezing his hand. "Right?" she frowned, looking up at him with tear filled eyes.

"Of course she will, squirt. She'll laugh at us for worrying about her like this," he assured her, with a lot more confidence than he felt, pulling her in close and rubbing her arm as she cuddled into his chest sleepily.

"That's what you do when you love someone, you worry about them," Maggie sighed with a small smile, pressing a plastic cup of coffee into her Grandson's hand, tossing a glance over her shoulder towards Quinn's room before sitting down in the chair closest to her grandchildren. "When you were in your coma, after your accident, Quinn sat in that same corner right there, refusing to move until you woke up. Even Santana couldn't coax her out of it," she laughed, nodding over at the Latina who was on the phone to Brittany. "The two of you are far too stubborn to leave each other for good."

"And the twins? Are they stubborn enough to stay with us, too?" Puck asked, tilting his head back against the wall and closing his eyes.

"Well, of course. They're you and Quinn mixed together."

* * *

><p>"Mr Puckerman?" a doctor asked, gently nudging the young man who was still sat against the wall, offering him a small smile when he opened his eyes and looked up at him, hope and worry shining in his dark eyes. "Quinn is awake, you can go in to see her, now," he smiled, gesturing over to Quinn's room where the door was now open, though he couldn't see in from where he was.<p>

"Is she ok? Are _they _ok?" Puck breathed, his voice husky and raspy from the emotion of the day, slowly pushing himself up from the floor, wobbling a little on unsteady feet, the doctor reaching out to steady him.

"Quinn is doing well, and her doctor should be in to speak to you both soon," he told him, concern lacing his words as he studied his face. "Maybe you should have something to eat, and drink," he suggested, arching his brow a little and nodding over at the vending machine. He hadn't seen the man consume anything in the time he had been here waiting, but then again, if his wife was in hospital with trouble breathing and a pregnancy in jeopardy, he wouldn't be eating either.

"No, no. I need to see Quinn," Puck argued, shaking his head a little at the thought of eating or drinking anything right now. The doctor nodded in what seemed to be understanding, so he made his way past him and offered his Mom a small smile before heading down the hall to Quinn's room, both anxious and strangely excited to see her again. He wasn't sure he would ever be able to get the image of her lifeless body out of his memory, and maybe now he understood why she held on tighter to him at night after his accident, and understood her fear of him sleeping. For a while now, he knew he would be checking constantly to be sure she was breathing properly, and would protect her and their babies. Their family.

If there was still a family there for him to protect.

"Quinn?" Puck murmured, peering into the plain white hospital room, seeing Quinn's small form huddled in the bed, her back to him and her usually golden hair, now dull and knotted in places. He took a cautious step into the room when she didn't reply, moving closer to her bed, his hand reaching out on its own accord to gently touch her shoulder, letting out a relieved sigh at the warmth of her skin through her hospital gown, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "Quinn, can you hear me?" Puck murmured, leaning in over the pale blonde, gently touching his fingers to her cool skin, guilt churning his stomach until he felt the urge to throw up. If he hadn't left her, this never would've happened to her and their babies.

Quinn shifted a little and blinked her eyes open, nodding her head a little and turning over slowly to face him. A ghost of a smile tugged at her lips for a moment or two as she reached out to touch his face, as if checking that he was real, that he was definitely there with her. She smiled once she was satisfied that he was actually there, sitting up a little and touching the tubes that went up her nose, frowning a little. "What happened?" she asked, her voice quiet and whispery, frowning as she looked around the hospital room, tears building in her eyes as her fingers found her bump. She hated hospitals, hated the memories they brought back of losing her daughter and being told she could no longer walk.

"I don't know, baby. Mom said you collapsed, and the doctors were telling me you weren't breathing properly and I thought I was going to lose you, Quinn! I've never been that scared in my life. I was begging you to wake up and you wouldn't! I'm so, so sorry for leaving you like that. I should've been there with you, protected you. You shouldn't have been alone when this happened and I'm so sorry that you were," he apologised, threading his fingers through hers and squeezing, cupping her cheek in his free hand and staring into her beautiful, tear filled eyes.

"S'not your fault," she mumbled with a sigh, lifting her hand to keep his to her cheek, glancing over at the door as her doctor knocked on the wood, frowning when Puck pulled his hand away from her face. His hand balled up into a fist, and she knew he was just as scared as she was. "My babies," she told the doctor immediately, not wanting to beat around the bush, watching him as he crossed the room to her bed, clipboard in hand. "Are they- are they ok?" she whispered, afraid to hear the answer.

If she had lost her babies, she didn't know how she would get past it.

"You suffered from a pulmonary embolism, Quinn. A blood clot formed in your leg and made its way up to your lung which caused you to have difficulty breathing and eventually, you lost consciousness from lack of oxygen. We've started meds to dissolve the clot and stop you from forming a new one. We're going to run a few tests to determine any other information. For now, just get some rest," the doctor advised with a small smile, nodding to the nurse who moved to Quinn's side and gently took hold of her arm.

"My babies, you didn't tell me if they're ok! Please," Quinn pleaded, tears dripping down her cheeks as the nurse carefully prepared to take blood from her arm for the tests they were going to run. "I'm their Mother, please," she added in a desperate whisper, Puck taking her hand in his and bringing her knuckles to his lips, wishing to give her strength and comfort, knowing it would break both of them if they had lost their babies.

"We're not quite sure what caused the bleeding. Stress, probably, but we're keeping a close eye on the twins. Baby A is perfectly healthy, baby B just needs to be kept an eye on for the time being," he sighed, offering the couple a sympathetic smile.

"What does that mean?" Puck demanded finally, his voice weak, as if the energy had been sucked out of him, out of both of them, Quinn staring blankly at the wall. "What's wrong with the baby?" he asked, squeezing Quinn's hand in his again, stroking his thumb over her knuckles. He wouldn't let anyone hurt her or the twins, not again.

"Baby B has a weaker heartbeat than baby A, but so far all is well. The sack has not been penetrated at all, and the bleeding could simply be caused by irritation. Rest is the best thing you can do for your babies, Quinn," he advised, looking to the blonde who stared back at him for a long moment before nodding once and turning her head away from him. "This wasn't anything you could've controlled or stopped, Quinn. Its not your fault. Clots form all the time, for many different reasons. We'll find out what caused yours, and we'll know how to prevent it from happening again. We'll be able to keep you safe and healthy," he assured her with a smile, patting her leg a little, Quinn moving away from him.

"And my babies? What are you doing to keep them safe and healthy?" Quinn demanded, looking at the machines beside her bed, tears filling her eyes as she realised they were monitoring her babies' heartbeats, the green lines looking perfectly normal to her. "Can you turn that up? Please," she whispered to the nurse who was carefully taking her blood, biting down on her lip. If she could hear that her babies were alive and healthy, maybe she could lessen the anxiety that was squeezing at her heart.

"Of course, but you need to get some sleep. For yourself and the twins," the nurse told her as she gently finished her job and placed a band aid on Quinn's arm, leaning over to turn up the volume of the monitors, the quickly thudding heartbeats filling the room. "Sleep," she reminded the blonde, winking at her before she and the doctor left the room, leaving Quinn and Puck together with the sound of their twins' heartbeats.

"I was so scared," Puck breathed once the door closed behind them, gently pulling Quinn into his arms and burying his nose in her hair, closing his eyes tight against the hot tears as he breathed in her sweet scent and listened to their babies. He could hear the difference in the heartbeats of the babies, and he only hoped that Quinn couldn't, so maybe she would sleep without worrying herself sick. "We need to talk, about all of this, but not right now. Now all I want is for you to do as the doctors say, ok? Sleep, Q," he murmured, gently cupping her cheek as she peered up at him through damp lashed, her fingers curling into his shirt.

"Don't leave," Quinn croaked, shaking her head a little and tugging at his shirt, as if trying to force him to stay right there with her.

"I'm not going anywhere," he promised, gently helping her to lay back down and checking he hadn't disrupted the tubes from her nose. Seeing those reminded him of when she had had her car accident, and he broke into the hospital to see her. She had been led in a bed just like this, her eyes closed and her beautiful face covered in cuts and bruises, tubes up her nose and wires stuck into her arms. A lot of people had been scared to see her like that, but not him. She was his angel, his perfect person.

"I'm so sorry, for lying to you," she whispered tearfully, turning a little to be closer to his body, sniffing and holding his hand in hers as he leant close to her, humming softly to her. "I should never have lied to you, about anything. I love you, and I'm sorry if you ever doubted that. You know for me, its always you," she breathed, sniffling and leaning in to kiss him, pressing her lips against his and savouring the taste of his kiss, his hand warm and soft on her cheek.

"Shh, none of that matters, now. Just sleep," Puck murmured, glancing around to be sure the doctors couldn't see before kicking off his boots and climbing into bed behind her, wrapping his arms around her slim waist, covering her bump protectively and nuzzling her neck as she sighed and closed her eyes, threading her fingers through his. "I love you, no matter what," he promised, kissing her jaw and humming her to sleep, watching the heartbeat of their babies for as long as he could before he eventually fell asleep, too.

All that mattered was their family.

* * *

><p>Puck was the first to wake up the next morning, not that he had really slept all that much. A lot of the time, he had spent checking continuously that Quinn was still breathing properly, and that both of the twins had steady heartbeats. They were fine, but it didn't stop him from worrying, especially not with one of their babies having a weaker heartbeat than the other. He knew Quinn hadn't slept as much as she would probably pretend she had, as more than once he had felt her holding his hand tight to her belly and muttering under her breath, as if she thought he could keep their twins safe.<p>

But he couldn't, no matter how much he wished he could.

"You're awake," Quinn noted, her voice quiet and husky, her head turning a little on the pillow to look at him, her brows furrowing a little. "You couldn't sleep either?" she asked with a sigh, turning her head back to the monitors, reaching her hand out to trace the jumping green lines. She could hear the difference in her babies' heartbeats, and it scared her to no end that she could lose one of them.

"No, I couldn't shut my brain up long enough to get any sleep," Puck admitted, pulling her a little closer to him, nuzzling into her neck and kissing the sweet skin for a long moment before he spoke up again. "I'm going to do everything I can, to keep you all safe, and healthy," he promised, turning her head to him, so she wasn't staring at the heartbeats and worrying herself over it. It was best for them all if she stayed calm.

"I know," she breathed, smiling a little and tracing his cheekbone gently with his thumb. "But its not your fault that this happened. I lied to you, I hurt you, I made you leave. If anyone is to blame for this, its me. I should've told you the truth, right from the start and I'm so sorry that I didn't," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes, closing them for a long moment before opening them again. "I won't lie to you again," she vowed, nudging his nose with hers gently.

Puck nodded to show he had heard her, sighing and cupping her cheek. "I need you to look me in the eye, and tell me the truth about the fire," he murmured, Quinn frowning a little in confusion and pushing up a little on her elbow to see him better. "One of the police officers from New York called me last night, and they told me that they've caught the man that caused the fire. They have evidence, and they're waiting on setting up a trial date. So, unless you've magically turned into a man overnight, and are able to be in two places at once, that means it wasn't you that set the fire," he explained, arching his brow at the flicker of worry that danced in her eyes before she quickly looked away.

"Look, Puck, I don't know what you're talking about. I told you what happened, I explained it all to you," she told him, and he was sure he could hear a touch of anger in her voice, a touch of annoyance, a touch of fear. Quinn pushed herself up into a sitting position and reached for a magazine from the beside table, busying herself with flicking through the pages of celebrity gossip, feeling his gaze on her. "You can believe whatever you want, but I told you the truth," she insisted, keeping her eyes firmly on the page detailing the birth of Taylor Swift's first child.

Puck stared at her for a long moment before scoffing and shaking his head, moving away from her a little and reaching down to pull his boots on, straightening out his rumpled t-shirt and getting to his feet before he looked back at her, noting the redness of her cheeks as she kept her eyes firmly on the magazine. She was lying, again. He could tell by the little twitch of her ears, and the way she refused to look at him. Whatever had really happened back in New York, she knew of, and she was keeping from him.

"You know what, Quinn? You're a terrible liar-"

He cut off as the door opened, blowing out a breath and slowly taking his seat beside Quinn's bed as his mother and sister came into the room, Ruth carrying a tray of food from the canteen and Hannah hugging a teddy bear tight to her chest. This wasn't the time to start demanding to know the truth, not when his family were here, not when Quinn was sick, and the babies were, too.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" Ruth asked, setting the tray down on the pull across table that was attached to Quinn's bed, leaning over to hug the blonde, rubbing her back soothingly. "You gave us one heck of a fright," she teased, smiling at little at Quinn who sniffed and offered her a small smile in return.

"I'm ok. Tired, mostly, and my ribs ache a little but I'm fine," she sighed, rubbing her hand over her ribs and glancing over at the monitors again. She wasn't worried about herself or her own health. The only thing she cared about were her babies, and whether or not they would be ok. If they didn't make it, she would never forgive herself.

"I know teddies are kind of cheesy and stuff but here," Hannah mumbled, holding the get well soon bear out to Quinn. She wasn't really good at things like this, turning her eyes to the monitors where the loud heartbeats were coming from. "Is that them?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, Quinn nodding her head little, tears shining in her hazel eyes. "They're going to be ok, you know. They're stronger than you think," she decided with a smile, hugging Quinn tight, but not too tight to hurt her or knock the wires into the wrong places.

"Thank you," Quinn breathed, holding the younger Puckerman close, chancing a glance over at Puck who was staring at the floor, his jaw clenched. He was angry with her, she knew that. He was angry, and she deserved it, but she hoped he would forgive her soon. Hoped she could forgive herself, at least enough to open up and tell him that- no.

She couldn't go there, didn't _want _to go there.

Not yet.

Maybe not ever.

"Have your doctors come up with an explanation yet?" Ruth asked, taking the empty seat beside Noah and rubbing his arm a little. "They wouldn't tell us anything," she admitted, "apparently we're not close enough of a relation to you," she added, nodding at Quinn and laughing a little at the face she pulled back. Quinn might not be blood related to her, but the girl was like a daughter to her, and the babies inside of her are family. Hospital rules didn't know the half of it.

"It was a pulmonary embolism. A clot formed in her leg and made its way up to her lung, cutting off her oxygen until she passed out. It could've killed her," Puck told his Mom, his voice thick with emotion, Quinn turning her tear filled eyes towards him, shaking her head a little and reaching out to him, knowing full well what the look on his face meant.

"Puck, please don't," Quinn croaked as he got to his feet and successfully managed to keep his eyes away from hers, his arm shifting out of her reach. "Don't go," she whimpered, tears falling down her cheeks, "its not your fault." She knew he felt guilty, knew from the look on his face that he was blaming himself for this and it really wasn't his fault. She didn't want him to leave, didn't want him to walk away from her again. "Please," she pleaded, Ruth shaking her head a little to tell her to let him go. He needed some space to work out his feelings.

Before he left, however, the door opened again, Santana and Jake entering the room, followed shortly by Quinn's doctor who carried a clipboard in his hands. Puck quickly turned on his heel and moved back to Quinn's side, pushing his guilt and feelings of nausea out of his mind for the time being, taking her clammy hand in his and pressing a kiss to her hair as she held tight to him. They needed to face this together.

"Good morning, Quinn. How are you feeling today?" the doctor asked with a warm smile, checking Quinn's vitals on the machine on the left side of her bed, and then checking the twins' heartbeats, scribbling down a few notes and watching as Santana and Jake took their seats beside Quinn's bed as well. Were they all family? He hoped so; it was good for Quinn to have family around her, especially now.

"I'm feeling a lot better, stronger," she told him, squeezing Puck's hand tight in hers, feeling his thumb run along her knuckles in response in an attempt to soothe and comfort her.

"That's good, great, actually. We have your test results back, is this your family?" he asked, nodding in reference to the people in the room. He would only speak of her results if she was comfortable with them being spoken about in front of the people around her. The last thing he wanted was to cause her anymore stress of discomfort.

"Yes, this is my family. Whatever it is, you can say it in front of them," Quinn assured him with a shaky smile, feeling Hannah nuzzle closer to her, glad to have company around her. It helped to take her mind off of whatever was happening to her, to her children.

"Well, we were right about it being a pulmonary embolism. But, from your blood test results, it seems it wasn't caused by anything in particular. Simply genetics. Its not something that you caused through doing anything. Looking at this, I can tell you that its simply something you were born with. It doesn't tend to make itself known much until pregnancy, and now we know what it is, we can help make sure it doesn't happen again," he told her with a smile, Quinn nodding her head, but not looking any less worried.

"Ok, and what about the twins? Will this affect them at all? Will they be ok?" she asked, chewing on her lower lip, feeling Puck's lips press against her forehead gently.

"It won't have an effect on the twins, so long as you take it easy. Your friend here tells me that you're quite a successful lawyer? I'd advise you to refrain from any court cases, and anything that could cause stress or over exhaustion. We've been keeping a close eye on the twins throughout the night, specifically baby B, and everything looks good, Quinn. The heartbeat is a lot stronger than it was yesterday and while I would like to keep you in overnight again to ensure the three of you are safe, I have no reason why you can't go home tomorrow. I'm confident that the three of you will be just fine," he smiled, watching the relief flood through Quinn's face, the blonde sagging against her fiancé who held her close, relief shining in his eyes, also.

"Thank you, doctor," Ruth murmured, wiping away a few tears as she watched her son take Quinn in his arms and hold her close to his chest, tears of relief rolling down his cheeks as Quinn cried into his shirt.

The twins were going to be ok.

* * *

><p>"Are you ok, now?" Puck murmured an hour later as Quinn's tears finally stopped, the blonde nodding her head a little against his chest, both their hands resting protectively over the little bump of her stomach, his lips pressed to her forehead as he rocked her gently from side to side. Hannah and his Mom were sat talking about nothing in particular, and Santana and Jake had gone to call a worried Maggie and assure her that everything was fine. They hadn't wanted to bring his Grams down to the hospital, for fear of upsetting her. She was gradually getting weaker, and he prayed she would manage to hold on until the twins were born, until she got to meet the great grandchildren she so desperately wanted. "Do you want anything to eat, anything to drink?" he asked quietly, not wanting to ruin the moment.<p>

For now almost everything was good, and he didn't want to change that. No matter how much he wanted answers.

"Maybe a cheese and pickle sandwich, and some apple juice?" Quinn hummed, her eyes closed, drawing little circles into the skin below her belly button as she listened to the heartbeats of her healthy, perfectly fine babies. They were moving her out onto the ward later, if everything continued to go as well as it was. That had quietened her fears a lot, that she no longer needed to be monitored.

"Ok, I'll be right back," he promised, kissing her forehead again before gently easing out of her hold, covering her with the blankets again, wanting her to be as comfortable as possible. "I love you," he murmured, stroking her cheek and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips before heading out of her room, closing the door behind him and heading down the hall to the canteen, fishing his phone out of his pocket and calling Shelby's number as he walked.

Maybe if they got Beth a few weeks earlier, Quinn would be a little happier and he could make sure she stayed safe. She had agreed to lay off on her work for a while, and he was glad of that. Anything they could do to keep the twins safe, they would.

"Hello?" Shelby asked as she picked up the phone, and he grinned to hear Beth's voice in the background.

"Shelby, hey, its Puck. So, I know we agreed for Beth to come up here for a visit in a few weeks, but I was wondering if maybe we could change that a little. Maybe have her for this weekend?" he asked hopefully, grabbing the sandwich Quinn wanted and lining up to pay for it. "I think it would help Quinn out a lot once we get her home," he added, handing money over to the cashier and asking for a bottle of apple juice, also.

"Well, we were looking for a babysitter for this weekend anyway, so I don't see why not. Are you and Quinn on vacation?" she asked with a smile, nodding her head at Beth who asked if it was her Dad on the phone. Where else would he be bringing Quinn home from, if they weren't on vacation?

"Ah, no. I wish we were on vacation," he laughed, shaking his head a little and buying a few packets of chips for Quinn in case she was still hungry after her sandwich. "We're at the hospital right now; Quinn suffered from a pulmonary embolism last night and they were worried it would have a negative affect on her health," he explained, keeping the pregnancy to himself. He and Quinn wanted to tell Beth themselves, face to face, that she was going to have siblings in just under seven months.

"The hospital? Oh, I'm so sorry, Noah. Give Quinn our best, and if its ok with her, I'll bring Beth up for a visit on Friday night?" she offered, feeling bad for the blonde. She and Quinn had quite a lot of difficulties, but she didn't want her to be hurt in any way, for Beth's sake. Her little girl loved her birth mother, and it wouldn't be good for her if anything happened to Quinn.

"I will, and that's great for us. Tell Beth we love her," he smiled, before hanging up and making his way back to Quinn's room, glad to have something good to tell her, something he knew would bring a smile to her face and hopefully ease the bad feelings from today.

He was almost back to Quinn's room when his phone rang again, frowning and answering it, lifting the phone to his ear, expecting Beth to have stolen her Mom's phone or something like that to call him back, or for Shelby to be calling with extra details about Beth's stay that needed to be discussed. He definitely didn't expect to hear what he did next.

"Next time, I'll make sure you all burn," a voice told him coldly, before the line went dead, Puck lowering the phone slowly and blinking a few times.

There was no mistaking whose voice that was.

* * *

><p>Quinn yawned and stretched her legs out as she blinked her eyes open, her hand making its way to her bump, gently stroking over her swollen stomach. Ruth and Hannah had left a few minutes after Puck, to go and eat dinner with Maggie, and Santana had gone to call Brittany, who somehow had gotten Lord Tubbington stuck in the washing machine. Honestly, she was glad to have a little time alone, a little space to process the fact that everything was going to be ok.<p>

Well, almost everything.

But she wasn't going to think about that, wasn't going to let _him _have control of her again.

Puck was coming back with food for her, and he would stay the night with her and their twins, and he would keep her safe, even if he was still angry with her. One day, he would understand. He would understand everything, but for now, she was keeping her secret to herself. Puck didn't need to be burdened with the truth, no matter how much he thought he wanted to know it.

"Hey, I was beginning to think you got lost out there," Quinn laughed as Puck came into her room and closed the door behind her, an unreadable look on his face that caused her body to stiffen a little, pushing herself into a sitting position and studying his eyes carefully as he sat down beside her. "Is something wrong? Have the doctors said something?" she asked quietly, looking over at the monitors. The twins' heartbeats looked and sounded stronger than ever, but maybe she was missing something.

"Quinn, I know it wasn't you. I know you didn't set fire to the house and I need you to tell me who did, baby," Puck murmured, leaning closer and taking her hands in his, his eyes pleading with hers to tell him the truth. "I know who it was; he just called me, but I need to hear you say it. I need you to tell me the truth."

Quinn flinched a little at the mention of someone calling him, but she masked it quickly, staring blankly at the wall and letting out a deep, cleansing breath. "I told you the truth already, Puck. I set the fire," she told him slowly, calmly, like she was talking to a small child who couldn't quite understand English.

"We both know that's not true. We both know that's not what happened that night, Quinn, please. Just tell me the truth," he pleaded, squeezing her hands, her hazel eyes flickering away from the wall to see his for a moment. "If you love me, if you really, truly love me, tell me the truth, If you love me, you'll tell me who really set the fire, and why you covered for him. I can't handle the lies and the secrets, Quinn. Its too much," he sighed, watching her eyes warm up a little, her bottom lip quivering. "If you want to be with me, if you want to marry me, and be a family, I need to know the truth and I need to hear it from you."

"Please," she whispered tearfully, shaking her head a little. "If _you_ love _me _then don't. Just accept that it was me, that I set the fire, and let it go. Please," she begged, squeezing his fingers tight in hers. Didn't he understand that she didn't want to talk about this, didn't want to go there? It was easier for everyone if he would just let it go.

But of course he wouldn't.

"I can't, Quinn. I can't sit by and live life knowing that someone else set that fire, that someone tried to kill you and our twins, someone that very nearly took you from me is out there and could easily get to you again. I can't live like that, and I can't live with lies, either. You lied to me, and you're still lying to me. We're supposed to be able to trust each other, and right now I just don't trust you. I'm sorry, Q. I can't," he sighed, letting go of her hands and rubbing his face before getting up, Quinn letting out a sob as he headed for the door.

"You promised," she sobbed, her hand pressed into the mattress where he had been sat, "you promised you'd never leave me."

"And you said you loved me, but you're keeping things from me. Important things, things that almost killed you, Quinn! You're lying to me, yet you expect me to believe you when you say you love me and you want to be with me?! How do I believe that, Q? You don't trust me enough to tell me the truth. Maybe you don't love me as much as you say you do," he replied bitterly, turning to face her for a moment, his hand on the door handle.

"That's not true. That's not fair and its not true," she argued, shaking her head and pressing her hand to her bump, staring at him for a few seconds longer before staring back at the wall like she had been doing for most of the day. She did love him, she loved him more than anything, but she couldn't talk about it. He didn't need to know.

"How is that not fair?! You don't tell me anything anymore! We used to talk about things, about important things and now you're lying and you're keeping secrets. I can't handle that, babe. I can't handle wondering if the things you're saying to me are true or not," he sighed, leaning against the wall. "I love you, Quinn, I love you more than anything. But I can't be here if you dont talk to me."

"Please, please don't go!" She cried as he opened the door, stretching her arm out to him. '"I'll talk! I'll tell you! Just please dont go, not again. Please, I need you," she pleaded, sniffling as he looked over his shoulder at her. "Please. If you love me, if you ever loved me, close that door and don't leave me," she whispered, closing her eyes for a long moment and taking deep breaths to calm down a little.

"I need you to talk to me, Q. No more lies," Puck murmured, coming back to her and cupping her face in his hands, studying her eyes as she opened them slowly, stroking her tears away and brushing his thumb over her lip.

"No more lies," she agreed, holding his hands on her face, taking a deep breath before she started to talk.

* * *

><p><em>When you're young, you just run.<em>

_But you come back, to what you need._

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry, again, for the update wait. <strong>

**Please review, you know, if you want to. I promise to update again before the weekend. Promise.**

**Lyrics used: This Love- Taylor Swift **


	21. Chapter 21

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_

_**A/N: We get Quick back in January, thank God! I'm not ready for glee to be over, but then again its not like Mark and Di are in it much anymore anyways. Have you guys seen the Domaine photoshoot in Dianna's house? I couldn't help imagining Quick scenes. I think I have a problem. **__**To the reviewer who complained about lack of smut last chapter, did you really expect them to be up for that? Seriously, stop.**_

_**Have any of you guys seen Mockingjay yet?! It was amazing! **_

_**Lastly, a few people have asked why I like to put song lyrics in my chapters, and that's simply because most of the time, a song inspires me to either start or continue a chapter and so I figured maybe some of you guys wanted to hear them? I don't know, its just something I do, I guess.**_

_**Oh, and I just wanted to say that if any of you ever need anyone to talk to, you can message me or tweet me anytime. **_

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><p><em>Wake up, its time, little girl. Wake up.<em>

_All the best of what we've done is yet to come._

* * *

><p>"You need to promise me, promise you'll let me explain it all before you make a judgement. Please," Quinn whispered, tears shimmering in her hazel eyes, Puck's hand warm and comforting against her cheek. She was going to tell him the truth, because after everything, Puck was the only person that had stuck by her side, and he deserved the truth. No matter how much she hated talking about it. There was only Santana who knew, and it had been so long since she opened up about it.<p>

"I promise, Q. I'm right here, babe, I'm listening," Puck murmured, stroking his fingers along her cheekbone gently, hoping to comfort her.

Quinn nodded her head a little and let out a quivering breath, kissing his fingertips before threading her fingers through his and holding his hand tight in hers. "The night of the fire, when you left to get the condoms, I waited for you for a few minutes, and I heard something outside, in the garden. I went into the closet to grab some clothes and a flashlight, when I heard it again. I went downstairs, thinking you were trying to scare me, and I found that there was nothing there. So I went back up to my room, and I decided to finish off clearing out the closet. You were gone for so long and I was just tidying up, and the next thing I knew there was smoke coming into my bedroom, and fire everywhere. The fire alarms never sounded, and I was terrified. I hid in the closet, and I prayed for you to come back, prayed for you to come and save me. I knew you wouldn't leave me behind," she sighed, licking her lips nervously and taking his hand in hers, sinking her teeth into her lower lip.

"No, I wouldn't," he agreed softly, bringing their joined hands to his lips and kissing her knuckles, silently encouraging her to go on.

"At first I believed it was just some teenage kids, you know? Trying to cause trouble. We went to the motel, do you remember the motel?" she asked, waiting for him to nod that he did before she continued. "It was three in the morning, and I asked you to go get me a bottle of water, remember? The people at the reception called whilst you were out, said I had a caller, and connected the call. He was so proud of himself, gloating about how easy it was for him to set the fire, how easily he almost killed us. He told me how he had seen us that night at dinner, told me that I was dirty, and shameless, and that I deserved to burn for my sins. He told me he wanted us both to burn for what we've done," she breathed, closing her eyes tight for a moment, her free hand finding her bump and stroking it a few times to soothe herself and the babies sleeping inside of her.

"Who did, Q? You need to tell me who did this, and why you covered for them," he urged, cupping her face gently and turning her to face him, her eyes fluttering open. "Who set the fire, Quinn?" He asked again, though the clenching of his stomach told him he already knew the answer, that the voice on the phone really was who he thought it was.

Quinn sniffed quietly and studied his eyes for a long moment, soothed by the feeling of his thumb stroking her cheek.

She couldn't lose him.

Not again.

"My Dad," she confessed, her voice no more than a breathy whisper that he strained to hear. "My dad," she repeated, stronger this time, firmer. "He told me that I was to encourage you to believe that some teenage kid set the fire, and next time, I wasn't to get in the way. If I failed, I was supposed to take the blame for him. I just wanted my Daddy to love me, Puck," she cried, tears dripping down her cheeks as her lower lip trembled. "I've spent my whole life trying to be good enough for him, but I never was. There's always been something wrong with me, something he could never beat out of me. I wanted him to look at me with love in his eyes, the way other fathers look at their children, instead of the hatred that I've seen there ever since I can remember. I was no good, Puck. I was fat, and ginger. I had braces and glasses and acne. I wasn't good for the family, wasn't one of God's children. I was the devil, that's what he told me. When I was five years old, I tripped over and smacked my head open on the floor. My parents were so worried- about their new cream carpets. I was five years old, and when my Mom went to get another glass of wine, he leant close to me, and told me I didn't deserve a doctor to take the pain away; I was the devil's child, a mistake he didn't want. That my red hair was a sign of the devil in me, and I guess I proved him right, huh? I mean, there must be something wrong with me, for him to hate his own child! I thought if I covered for him, I could show him I was good, that I could be good, be someone he was proud of," she whispered, shaking her head a little and staring out of the window for a long moment.

"Quinn, I-" he cut off as she held her hand up and shook her head, her eyes pleading with him to listen to her as she turned to look him in the eye again, her own spilling tears faster than any waterfall he had ever seen.

"It didn't work, though. He wanted me to leave you, and go back to Lima, where he could marry me off to a good Christian man from chruch, someone he could control, someone that could control me the way he used to when I was a child. Clearly I refused to leave you, and he didn't like that. He threatened to tell you the truth, to expose what I'd done, and I couldn't risk losing you. I thought if I got pregnant, you wouldn't leave me, and we could have a family. We could escape from him with our own baby and I wouldn't have to let him bully me into losing another child. He took Beth from me, he took away my beautiful little girl and I swore I would never let him do that to us again," she sobbed, hugging her knees tight to her chest, Puck swallowing and reaching out to stroke through her hair.

"When we first started this, you told me how he had broken your nose when you were a kid. I thought that was the only time; I didn't think your life was like that. It wasn't the only time, was it?" he asked, feeling sick to his stomach that Russell could ever have hurt her this way.

"No," she mouthed, lifting her head a little to see him better, studying his eyes carefully.

"And he took Beth from you?" he asked, swallowing as she nodded again, closing his eyes for a long moment.

"The night we slept together for the first time, the night we made Beth, I was fifteen. I was sixteen the week after, but I was still fifteen when I got pregnant. I was underage. When my parents threw me out, I thought I was free. When Finn left me, and I came to live with you, I thought that things were coming together, that we were going to be a family together. I loved you so much, even back then, and I wanted us to keep Beth. When she was born, I told you to go back to the competition, to see if we had won, and I was just holding Beth, talking to her. She knew my voice right from the start, did you know that?" Quinn smiled happily, remembering the way Beth had turned her little head whenever she had heard her voice. "But my father had one of his lawyers visit me whilst I was alone with Beth, and he told me that if I kept her, I would be sued for custody, and my father would make sure I never saw her again. He threatened you, threatened me, threatened our baby. God knows my father would've done everything his lawyer told me he would. So I gave Beth away. I couldn't keep her, I couldn't let her have his influence in her life. He would've ruined her, _I _would have ruined her."

"Quinn," he sighed, rubbing his face and fighting the urge to vomit, to break walls, to scream and yell and hurt someone the way Quinn had been hurt. He wanted to hurt Russell the way he had hurt and ruined Quinn, ruined the chance they had at being a family ten years ago.

"I never wanted to hurt you, Noah, please believe me. I would rather have burnt in that fire than cause you any pain. I know its crazy, and irrational, but please. I need you. All my life, I have been so alone. Dont make me be alone again," Quinn begged tearfully, reaching out for him.

Puck instantly pulled her close, stroking his fingers through her hair as he rocked her gently, closing his eyes tight and kissing her hair. "Shhh, baby. Everything's gonna be ok, I promise you. He won't hurt you again. I won't ever let him get to you again," he vowed, holding her close to him as she cried into his chest, tears falling from his own eyes as he held her, humming and shushing her, trying to heal twenty six years of pain and hurt that she had suffered, wishing he could take it all away.

Eventually she cried herself out, and all that was left was his dampened t-shirt and the little sniffles she made in her sleep, clutching her pillow to her chest in one hand and keeping a firm hold of his shirt in the other, her brows furrowed. She looked more like a child than Beth did in that moment, and he felt both his heart swell with love, and his veins run hot with rage towards her father.

But he couldn't act on that; he promised not to leave Quinn again.

And he wouldn't break his promise.

* * *

><p>Quinn woke up an hour or so later, blinking her eyes open and sniffling, offering Puck a small smile. He was still there, he hadn't left her. "Hey," she breathed, lifting her hand to brush her fingers along his cheek lovingly, leaning her forehead against his. "You should get some sleep, have a shower, take care of yourself," she told him as he kissed her nose. She understood his want to stay by her, to make sure she and the twins were ok, but he needed to look after himself as well.<p>

"I'm fine, Q. I want to stay with you, protect you," Puck murmured, shaking his head a little and grabbing a bottle of water from her nightstand, taking a gulp of the cool liquid and sighing, checking his phone for missed calls. He hoped Ian would call him soon with any information on what was going to happen to Russell now. If it came down to it, he would stand guard by Quinn twenty four hours a day, to keep her safe.

"I know, and I understand that, trust me, I do. But _he_ can't get to me, he's all the way in New York, and we're here, safe. I'm going to be fine, the twins are fine, and we need you to be fine," she sighed, sitting up a little and wrinkling her nose up. She hated the feeling of the tube that was attached to her face, but it wouldn't be there for much longer, so she sucked it up. "They're moving us onto the ward soon, and you know they won't let you stay overnight again. Take that time to look after yourself, ok?" she asked, worrying her lip between her teeth as she studied his tired face, brushing her fingertips over the dark circles beneath his eyes.

It had been three days since they last slept in their bed, before their argument, and she was almost certain he hadn't slept since.

Puck sighed and rolled his eyes a little, adjusting the blanket over her to keep her warm and opening up a sandwich that he had bought from the canteen earlier. "I'll go home and take a shower when they move you onto the ward, ok? Until then, let me stay here and look after you," he replied, handing her the sandwich and taking one for himself, biting into the soft bread and fighting the urge to laugh at her disgruntled pout.

"You're such a stubborn asshole, you know that?" she muttered, taking the sandwich and eating it anyway, shifting her body to curl into his a little more, her head on his chest. She could hear his heart thudding beneath his shirt, and she couldn't fight the smile that tugged at her lips. "Thank you, for being here with me. I know you're probably angry with me for lying to you, but I wouldn't want anyone else here with me," she told him, chewing on the bread absently.

"Hey, you had your reasons for what you did, ok? I was angry with you, but only because I didn't know why you were lying. I thought you were covering for an ex, not that your Dad was behind it all. I shouldn't have left that night, I shouldn't have let him get his claws in you again, but it won't happen again, I promise. As far as I know, Russell is still in police custody, and I want us to press charges when the time comes, ok? Get him put away, so he can't get to any of us again," he murmured, pressing a light kiss to her lips, wishing he could make her beautiful eyes shine with happiness again.

"Press charges?" she squeaked, her eyes widening a little. No, she couldn't do that. Judy had tried once before, and all that had happened was Russell bribed his way out of trouble, and punished all of them when he got back home. If she pressed charges against him, what would he do to her when he got free?

"Quinn, look, I know you're scared of him, but you can't let him control you like this anymore. Look at what he's done to you, don't you want revenge for that? A way to make sure he never gets to you again? Look, I was there the night he threw you out, I saw how terrified you were when we met up at the baseball field whilst Finn was asleep. If you can't do it for yourself, do it for Beth, for the twins, for me," he whispered, looking into her tear filled eyes. "You're not alone, Quinn. You're not that little girl hiding beneath the bed anymore. You're strong, and you can do this."

"What, like you did to your father, huh? He beat you about, he hurt you, he ruined the kid that you used to be, yet I don't see you pressing charges against him or finding revenge for me or the twins or Beth. Its my decision, Puck, and I don't want to do it," she snapped, gasping and covering her mouth in horror as she realised what she had just said to him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to throw that in your face," she breathed, seeing the hurt that flashed in his eyes before he looked away from her, his hands clenching into fists in his lap.

Puck was silent for a moment before he nodded a little and opened his arms for her, the blonde crawling into his lap and burying her face into his chest, her arms tight around his neck as he simply rocked her from side to side. "I'm sorry, too. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Its your choice," he murmured, kissing her hair, his eyes closed.

"Everything's going to be ok, right?" Quinn asked quietly, Puck smiling a little at how childlike she sounded.

"Yes," Puck nodded, feeling her relax against his chest. "Everything is going to be ok."

* * *

><p>Puck eventually left Quinn's room when Santana came to visit, practically being forced out by the Latina who claimed he had had enough time "getting freaky" in the sheets with Quinn, the blonde finding it hilarious. Then again, pretty much anything was funny after the past few days they'd had. Either way, he was glad to see the smile back on Quinn's face, and also to see the coffee machine that his Mom was strategically sat beside.<p>

"Quinn finally kicked you out, then?" Hannah sniggered as she spotted her brother walking towards them, pulling a face at him as he spat his tongue out at her. "Can I go see her now?" she asked, stretching her legs out along the floor with a tired yawn.

"Sure, Santana is in there with her now. They're moving her onto the ward soon so you might only have like ten minutes or so," Puck told her, ruffling her hair before putting a dollar into the coffee machine, sighing in relief at the smell of the rich liquid that began to fill the cup. "I called Shelby last night, she's agreed to let Beth stay with us this weekend. I think it'll be good for Beth to get used to us all before the wedding, and Quinn will be a lot happier spending time with her. Plus, we don't know for sure how long Grams has left, and she hasn't gotten to meet Beth yet," he told them over his shoulder, grabbing two packets of sugar.

"Beth is coming to stay with us, like for real?" Hannah grinned, excited at the prospect of getting to see her niece again. She had only seen her once, when she was a baby, and that was ten years ago, when all she did was sleep in Quinn's arms. Maybe now she would be more interesting.

"No, not for real. Shelby is her Mom, remember. Beth has to go back after the weekend," he sighed, slumping down into the empty seat beside his mother and emptying the sachets of sugar into his coffee cup with a sigh. It would hurt them even more to let Beth go again, especially now he knew Quinn had practically been forced into giving their daughter away. Her actions in senior year were making a whole lot more sense to him, now.

"Quinn is her Mommy, though, and you're her Daddy," Hannah shrugged, getting up and hugging him for a moment before pulling away. "Does Quinn know Beth is coming to stay?" she asked, not wanting to ruin the surprise for the blonde if she didn't know.

"No, she doesn't know yet, so keep it that way, squirt," he told her, smiling as he watched her head off to Quinn's room. He was so glad that his sister loved Quinn, loved having her around. Then again, she had when Quinn was pregnant and had lived with them last time.

"Well?" Ruth asked, sipping her coffee and sighing, watching through the glass doors as her daughter climbed onto the bed next to Quinn, whispering something that had the blonde throwing her head back and laughing. "What did she say to you? Did you manage to get the truth from Quinn?" she sighed, turning her head to look at her son who was rubbing at his face.

"It was Russell, Mom. He got to her again. He got to her because I wasn't able to protect her! I let him hurt her again, after I promised her I wouldn't let him lay another finger on her after she told me what he did to her as a child. And gathering from what she told me earlier, he's done a hell of a lot more to her than she's told me. Why wasn't I there, Mom?! Why didn't I protect her from him?!" Puck demanded, getting up from his seat. "She's my wife soon, and I can't even keep her abusive father away from her?! What kind of husband does that make me?! What kind of father does that make me to our twins, if I can't keep their Mommy safe?!" he asked loudly, anger and hurt lacing his words.

He had never felt as much of a failure as he did now.

"A wonderful one, Noah. You are not your father. You love that woman in there with all your heart, and you can't blame yourself for what happened. I can see that Quinn doesn't. Her father has hurt her in the past, yes, and he managed to worm his way back into her mind the night of the fire, but she's ok, Noah. She'll get through this, because she has you and the twins, and that's all that matters. Don't blame yourself, son. You know how hard it is to keep an abusive father from your life. You gave yours your college fund to try to get him to care, and don't try to tell me that's not why you did it. You can tell everyone you did it to get him to stay away, but you did it to try to get him to finally give a damn. Quinn did a different thing, but for the same reason. You're both in the same position, you both understand exactly what the other has been through. You're one and the same. She'll get through this, and so will you. You're both going to be ok, I promise you," Ruth murmured, pulling him into a hug and rubbing his back to soothe him, catching Quinn's gaze through the glass and shaking her head a little at the mouthed question.

No, there was nothing wrong. Not anymore. She would see to it that nothing went wrong for this family again, especially not from Russell Fabray. She would talk to Quinn herself in a little while, gather the details of what that monster had done to her, perhaps even comfort the blonde with her own abusive past. One thing was for sure- that man would never break their family again.

"I want to help her, I want to make things better for her, but I don't know how," Puck mumbled into her shoulder, his eyes shut tight. He wanted to make everything ok for Quinn, but he didn't know where to start, didn't know how long Russell had had this hold over her. Had he controlled her right from the start of her life, or only once she got pregnant? He had beaten her as a child, but had he broken her in a different way, a way he couldn't bare to think of her going through? They loved each other, more than anything, but they weren't so good at communication. At least, not where their fathers were involved.

He was going to change that.

"I think you just need to show her that she can come to you with this, that you won't be angry with her," Ruth sighed, knowing from her own experience how hard it was to talk about things. "I know you could never be angry with her about this," she added quickly, as he pulled back and frowned at her, "but its easy to feel that way. Quinn is terrified that you'll think she's evil, evil like her father told her she was. You just have to show her that you're not, that you're not angry with her over anything that's happened this past month or two, ok?"

Puck nodded a little and glanced over his shoulder to Quinn's room, watching her talk to Santana, a small smile tugging at his lips at how perfectly imperfect she was.

"Thanks, Mom. You're a really good Mom, you know that?" he sighed, offering her a small smile as she winked and smiled back at him.

"Go home, Noah. Take a shower, get something to eat, take a nap. Quinn and the twins will be fine," Ruth told him, pointing at the door, "get moving, mister."

"Alright, alright, I'm going," he muttered, rolling his eyes and heading down the hall towards the exit, catching Quinn's eye through the glass of the windows and pulling a face at the smug little smile she sent him at the fact that he was going home earlier than he said he was. He hoped this was the point where things began to get better for them, for their family.

* * *

><p>"Alright Quinn, we're all set up here and if you're up to it in the morning, you can go home," the doctor smiled, scribbling Quinn's name on the whiteboard above the hospital bed they had just moved Quinn into on the ward.<p>

"Thank you," Quinn smiled, glad that the tubes had been removed from her nose, and the wires connecting her to the monitors had been taken away, also. She felt a lot better, stronger and healthier, and she was happy that the doctors were positive about the twins' health. Things were finally taking a turn for the positive.

"At least you don't look like you're about to drop dead anymore," Santana smirked, dropping into a seat beside Quinn's bed and stuffing a piece of chocolate into her mouth, Quinn smiling and rolling her eyes at her, lying back against the pillows. Santana was quiet until the doctor left them alone and glanced around before getting up and pressing a bar of chocolate into Quinn's hand. "There tubbers, now you can stop with the creepy cannibal eyes," she teased, winking at her.

"Hey, I'm pregnant," Quinn shrugged, opening the chocolate happily and breaking a piece off. "Will you text Puck and ask him to bring me some clothes and some of my stuff for when he comes back? I hate hospital gowns," she grumbled, plucking at the white and blue cloth that she was unhappily wearing.

"Sure," Santana nodded, fishing her phone out to text him. "Did you tell him the truth, about the fire, about your- about _him_?" Santana asked, biting her lip a little as she leant closer to Quinn to hear her better, and also so she could quickly change the subject if the blonde began to get upset at the mention of her father.

"Yes, I told him the truth, I told him everything. He forgave me for lying, but I think that's because he understands what its like to have a father like that. If he didn't, I don't think he would've forgiven me," Quinn sighed, twisting the chocolate wrapped around her finger absently. "He wants to press charges, wants _me _to press charges against Russell. I want to, Sanny, I really, really do. I want to make sure he can't ever get his claws in me again, me or my children, but I can't," she sniffed, dropping her eyes to her lap, her cheeks burning a little in shame. "I'm afraid," she admitted in a small mutter, looking away from the Latina who at one point would've been laughing in her face to see her this way.

"I know, sweetheart. I know you're afraid of him, of what he could do, but this could be your shot at getting him out of your life for good. You won't be doing it alone, you know that. We're all here for you, and God knows I want to see that asshole pay, too," Santana mumbled, squeezing Quinn's knee a little. She remembered all too well the bruises that would be scattered along the blonde's creamy skin whenever they changed in the locker room. It would take a miracle for her to forget Quinn's broken ribs in freshman year.

"I didn't used to be this person. I was strong, once," Quinn laughed, without a single trace of humour. "Or maybe I was just really good at pretending I was," she added after a moment's thought.

"There's nothing wrong with being weak sometimes, and there's nothing wrong with asking for help. Do you know how long it took me to stop being embarrassed about asking Puckerman for help being my beard? He used to get so frustrated at not being able to be with you when you were pregnant, but he still helped me out. Even Berry has helped me out, when I needed help getting over Britt after high school. You can ask for help," Santana told her seriously, offering her a small smile. "And if you ever tell anyone that we had this conversation, I'll go all Lima Heights on your ass," she added with a wink at her friend who smiled a little.

"I know. Thank you," Quinn smiled, reaching to squeeze her friend's hand, sighing and rubbing her belly a little, chewing at her lip.

"You know I fully expect to be godmother for this," Santana smirked, nodding her head at her friend's belly, hesitantly reaching out to touch it.

"Mmm, we'll see," Quinn sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Hey little guys, that's totally a yes," Santana grinned, patting the blonde's little bump and leaning back in her seat with a smug grin.

Suck on that, Berry.

* * *

><p>"Quinn, are you awake?" Puck asked quietly, leaning over the blonde and kissing her cheek gently, the blonde opening her eyes and smiling up at him. "I brought you some pyjamas, some clothes for tomorrow and some shampoo and stuff. I figured you'd probably want a shower before you get out of here," he shrugged, setting the pink duffle bag down on the bed as Quinn sat up and stretched her arms up over her head.<p>

"Mmm, thank you. The next time you'll be packing this bag is for when the twins are born," Quinn hummed thoughtfully, smiling at him and stretching her arms out to him, pulling him close to her and nestling her head into his neck as his arms went around her waist, rubbing her back soothingly. "I love you," she whispered, lifting her head a little and nudging his nose with hers, brushing her lips against his, looking into his eyes. "You're my first," she smiled, stroking her thumb along his lower lip.

"I love you too, Q," Puck murmured, leaning in to kiss her, the blonde sighing into his mouth and spearing her fingers through his hair, kissing him back and licking at his lip until they parted, their tongues meeting as he leant her back on the bed. Thank God for the curtain around their bed that blocked the other people's views of them making out on the bed, Quinn's moans muffled by their greedy kisses. He had missed kissing her, missed the way she clutched at his hair desperately, as if she would float away. "I know I'm your first, babe. I don't think either of us will forget that night," he smirked, pulling away from her lips and opening the bag to place her pyjamas down on the bed.

"I didn't mean _that._Everybody knows you were my first for that, but you were my first in so many other ways, too," she mumbled as she leant in to kiss him again. "You were my first kiss," she revealed, her eyes sparkling and a giggle falling from her lips at the happy smile that tugged at his lips. "Mmm, the day we kissed on the baseball field in freshman year when you told me that Finn would never have me, that was my first kiss," she giggled, clasping her hands under her chin, happily spilling out the facts she had kept from him.

"Are you serious? That was your first kiss?" he asked, his eyes wide as he sat down next to her, wanting to know more, to know if she had any other little secrets she was keeping from him. There was a strange sense of pride that swelled his heart at the fact that he had been her first in more ways than being the one to take her virginity. He remembered that kiss like it was yesterday, the day they had yelled at each other on the field, and he had claimed Finn would never have her, before kissing her with all the passion he could at fourteen. "What else have you been hiding, Fabray?" he asked with a grin at the smug little smirk on her face.

"You were the first person to ever touch me, to ever see me naked, the first person to kiss every inch of my skin," she purred, leaning forward on her hands and smiling up at him. "You were the first boy that ever held me, that ever laid in my bed. You were the first person I'd ever wanted, the first person I used to wish would notice me. You were the first person I ever loved, and besides our babies, you're the only person I have ever loved. You're the first person to sing to me, the first person to love me for who I am, not who I pretend to be," she whispered, sniffing tearfully and lifting her hand to his cheek, smiling up at him. "You're my first, in so many more ways than us making love," she smiled, resting her forehead against his.

"You're my first too. You're the first, and only, woman I've ever loved," he murmured, feeling like he wanted to cry at how honest she was about them and their past. How could he have ever doubted that she loved him? "You, Lucy Quinn Fabray, are my world, my everything, and I can't wait until the day I marry you, and make you mine. Forever," he mumbled against her lips, kissing her with all the love he felt for her, Quinn cupping his cheeks in both her hands, leaning into him from the intensity of their kiss.

"How do you do this to me," she breathed in awe as she broke their heated kiss, feeling her whole body buzz with want and need. "The more I kiss you, the more I want you, and the more I want you, the more chance we have of being caught by the doctors that refuse to give a moment's peace," she sighed, groaning and resting her head in the crook of his neck for a moment before reaching for her pyjamas.

"Its all worth it though, if it keeps you and the twins safe and healthy," he shrugged, rifling through the bag he had packed for her and pulling out a picture of Beth from their bedroom for her to have with her, seeing as he wasn't allowed to stay the night. "I called Shelby earlier," he told her as she turned around for him to untie her hospital gown, kissing the creamy skin of her back to make her shiver.

"You did?" she asked in surprise, pulling her arms out of the gown and holding it to her breasts, waiting for Puck to give her the bra he had packed. If he had packed one.

"Yep, and I hope you don't have any plans for us this weekend, because we're going to be busy taking care of a certain little blonde haired child," he grinned, finding her bra in the bag and handing it to her, smirking as she dropped the gown to the floor and slipped her bra into place. Oh yeah, her boobs were already growing because of the twins. He couldn't wait to enjoy them, for as long as he could before the twins came.

"Wait, what?" she breathed, biting down on her lip and pulling her pyjama shirt on for something to distract herself. It couldn't be Beth, could it? There was no way Shelby would agree to letting Beth stay with them at the weekend, Hanukah and for their wedding. She hadn't even been allowed to contact her daughter at all in the past ten years.

"Shelby agreed to let Beth come for a visit this weekend. She needs a babysitter, and I offered. I think it'll be good for us to have her here, to tell her ourselves that you're pregnant, and to let her get used to the family and the house before the wedding," he shrugged, taking her hand and lacing their fingers together, kissing her knuckles. "Is that alright? You don't look as happy as I thought you would," he frowned, studying her eyes carefully as she let out a breath and pulled her sleep shorts on.

"I'm fine, its just a surprise, that's all," she assured him, stroking his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, nudging his nose with hers, his hand cradling her hip. "Does she know she's staying with us? Is she ok with that? I don't want to push her too far; she doesn't even really know who we are. We're glorified strangers," she sighed, climbing into his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck, resting her head in the crook of his neck. Beth was her world, and she wanted to have her daughter home with them as much as she could, but she didn't want to scare her away. She'd lost her far too many times for that.

Puck smiled a little and kissed her cheek, rubbing soothing circles into her lower back. "Beth knows, babe, and she's excited. She wants to spend time with us, because she wants to, not because she feels she has to. We haven't had the chance to be her parents before, but we have it now, and I promise you, nothing will screw it up this time. Its you, and me, and Beth, and our babies. A family," he murmured, cupping her cheek and kissing her nose, feeling a smile spread across her face against his jaw as she hugged him tighter to her.

"Our family," Quinn smiled, guiding his hand down to her belly and holding it there as he rocked her gently from side to side, taking as much comfort from him as she could before visiting hours were up and he had to leave. "Puck?" she asked after a moment, lifting her head from his neck, licking her lips nervously before continuing, "I want us to do it, I want us to do everything properly. I want to call my Mom, and invite her to the wedding, along with my sister and my grandparents. I want Beth with us, for as much as we possibly can, and I want her to know the twins, be the big sister she would've been if I had been stronger, if I'd have been brave enough to stand up and tell my father I was keeping my child. I want your Grams, and your Mom, and your sister to come with us to the next scan, to be there to see if we're having boys, or girls, or one of each. I want us to be honest with each other from now on out, about everything. I want us to be happy, really, truly happy," she breathed, smiling up at him as a grin spreads across his face in response to what she had said, his hands pulling her in for a long, loving kiss.

A kiss that had her moaning and trying to push him backwards on the bed as his tongue stroked along hers and explored her mouth, greedily tasting her, his fingers tangled in her hair. Quinn moaned and successfully wrestled him down onto his back, kissing him harder as his hand cupped and squeezed her ass, the blonde groaning and grinding her hips down against his as his lips attacked her neck, marking her creamy skin.

"Keep in down in there, will you?" the person in the bed on the right side of the curtain from them yelled, Quinn dropping her head and giggling into Puck's shoulder as he grunted in annoyance, glaring at the curtain that hid them from view of the person that had rudely interrupted them.

"Its fine, we only have two minutes before you have to leave, anyway," she sighed, nodding her head at the clock beside the bed, locking her hands at the back of his neck, licking her lips before speaking up again. "If you had the chance to have your father be punished for what he did to you and your Mom, would you?" she asked, studying his eyes carefully. They'd been through the same thing, just different circumstances. Maybe that was why they understood each other so well.

"Honestly? Yes, I would," he told her, nodding his head and pausing for a moment, glancing over at where he could see his mother talking to the doctor through the windows across the room, clenching his jaw at the thought of his father getting near her again. "As a kid, all I wanted was for him to care, for him to see me and want me, you know?" he asked, Quinn nodding her understanding, her eyes soft as she stroked his cheek sadly. "Every time he came back, I thought it would be better. He would be good to Mom, love her, stay with her, and he would want me. It never worked that way, though. He only ever came back to take what we had, knock us around a bit and then leave again for God knows how long," he muttered, locking their fingers together and kissing her knuckles. "If I had the chance, I would make sure he didn't get near my Mom or Hannah again," he vowed, squeezing her hand a little as she nodded and leant in to kiss his forehead.

"I love you, Noah Puckerman," she whispered, pressing kisses down the side of his face until she got to his lips. "I want us to press charges," she mumbled against his lips, kissing him sweetly, savouring his taste for tonight. "I want him out of my life for good, out of our lives, out of our children's lives. I'm not a little girl anymore, and he can't control me, or our family," she nodded, tracing the shape of the lips she loved so much.

"I'm proud of you," he told her, looking her in the eye and smiling at her, the blonde ducking her head a little and blushing, glancing up through her lashes, giving him the same look she had the night Beth was born, and he knew the question that was coming next.

"Did you love me?" Quinn asked, biting her lip and waiting for his answer.

"Yes, especially now," Puck murmured with a small smile, gently lifting her from his lap and laying her down, draping the blankets over her as she turned on her side, her pillow hugged to her chest and his hand held tight in hers. "And there'll never come a day when I don't love you, Lucy Quinn Fabray," he promised, kissing her forehead gently, the blonde smiling up at him.

"Sing me to sleep," she breathed, yawning and stretching out in the bed, but not letting go of his hand, bringing his knuckles to her lips to kiss them gently. "I love it when you sing to me," she sighed sleepily, stroking over his hand gently, ignoring the beeping of the other people in the room's heartbeats. She only had eyes and ears for Puck.

"Ok," he agreed, with an overdramatic sigh, Quinn giggling and kissing his hand as he shifted to lean over her, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Are you are you  
>Coming to the tree<br>Where they strung up a man  
>They say murdered three<br>Strange things did happen here  
>No stranger would it be<br>If we met at midnight in the hanging tree

Are you are you  
>Coming to the tree<br>Where the dead man called out  
>For his love to flee<br>Strange things did happen here  
>No stranger would it be<br>If we met at midnight in the hanging tree

Are you are you  
>Coming to the tree<br>Where I told you to run  
>So we'd both be free<br>Strange things did happen here  
>No stranger would it be<br>If we met at midnight in the hanging tree

Puck smiled at the soft snore that left Quinn's lips, stilling his hand that had been stroking her hair and gently pulling away from her, kissing her forehead and covering her with the plain white blanket. She looked so small and innocent when she slept, just like Beth had, on the handful of nights he'd been able to spend with her in senior year. His girls were his world, and with the twins healthy and safe, he could finally relax a little, feeling the lack of sleep begin to way down on his shoulders as he turned out the lamp beside her bed.

"I love you, Lucy. Its always been you," Puck promised, kissing her lips gently before turning to leave the ward, his Mom smiling at him and slinging her arm around his shoulders, hugging him close to her side as they made their way towards the elevators that would take them to the car park, Puck at peace knowing that Quinn would be coming home in the morning, safely and healthy.

"I love you, too, Noah," Quinn breathed, before she turned over and fell back asleep, her hand resting protectively on her belly.

* * *

><p><em>Wake up, its time, little girl. Wake up.<em>

_Just remember who I am in the morning._

* * *

><p><strong>Lyrics used: Ryan Star- Losing Your Memory<strong>

**Puck's lullaby: Jennifer Lawrence- The Hanging Tree (Mockingjay Part One.)**

**Read and review if you want tooooooooo :)**


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